Ceres voters appear in favor of district elections, increased motel tax

In early returns Tuesday night, Ceres voters were approving two measures before them.

Measure D, which would move the city from at-large to district-based council elections, was passing 66 percent to 34 percent. Measure E, which would double the transient occupancy tax paid by occupants of hotels and motels, was ahead 56 percent to 44 percent.

Neither of the measures generated any organized opposition. Campaign signs appeared to be nonexistent, though the Ceres Chamber of Commerce formed a political action committee to back Measure E, the hotel tax proposal.

“Ceres residents need to know this is a no-brainer tax,” chamber board President Renee Ledbetter said during the campaign. “They don’t pay the tax unless they are a guest of the hotel.”

Ceres’ transient occupancy tax has stood at 5 percent since 1971. In 2002, a measure was put before Ceres voters to raise the tax, but it failed 55 percent to 45 percent. City Manager Toby Wells said he didn’t know how much outreach the city did back then. He said his understanding is that “initially, hotel operators were in support of it, but then for whatever reason changed their position. ... We’re not seeing that opposition this year.”

This story was originally published November 3, 2015 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Ceres voters appear in favor of district elections, increased motel tax."