ALAMEDA COUNTY BALLOT LANGUAGE REVIEW, JUNE 2, 2026
Alameda County Civil Grand Juror Association Local Ballot Measure Ratings for the June 2, 2026 Primary Election
The eight Alameda County local ballot measures scheduled for the June 2, 2026 Primary Election were evaluated in April 2026 by a Ballot Watchdog group of evaluators from the non-profit Alameda County Civil Grand Jurors’ Association (ACCGJA). The measures’ titles were evaluated for accuracy and fairness pursuant to the California Elections Code and the criteria established by the association for each type of ballot measure, e.g. Bond Measure, Tax Measure and Other (non-tax measure). This review by the ACCGJA is unrelated to the current sitting Civil Grand Jury; it is also unrelated to the California Civil Grand Jurors’ Association, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters, and the County of Alameda.
The collective ratings represent the average score arrived at by the evaluators who are Association members and are all former grand jury members. The scoring system is comparable to the popular “Yelp” type scoring system (a score of one is worst; five is best). Like a Yelp evaluation, the ratings reflect the average of the evaluators’ educated opinions, based on the established criteria as to what should, and should not, be included in each type of ballot measure.
We emphasize that the ACCGJA IS NOT evaluating the merits of the proposed measures. The evaluation is not partisan – neither liberal nor conservative. We are only concerned with the accuracy and impartiality of the 75-word ballot title being put to the voters. Those 75 words are the only thing that we know every voter sees as they vote. State law requires ballot language to be “a true and impartial synopsis of the purpose of the proposed measure and shall be in language that is neither argumentative nor likely to create prejudice for or against the measure.”
Unfortunately, many jurisdictions disregard the intent of the law by exaggerating the benefits and glossing over the costs, as well as by adding extraneous verbiage designed to favor passage of the measure. No one, other than the agency promoting the measure, is required to approve the agency’s language. To counteract this, there is a growing need for citizens to actively and consistently monitor and evaluate local governments’ ballot descriptions. This current ACCGJA effort supports the findings of the 2021 Alameda County Civil Grand Jury report, The Need for Accuracy and Impartiality of Ballot Measure Questions.
Additional information can be found on the Ballot Watchdog group website: https://ballotwatchdog.com/
Results: The Ballot Watchdog review produced individual ballot measure scores ranging from 1.8 to 4.2. The average was 3.5. The most common issue that caused a reduction in the score from the maximum of 5 was a lack of clarity as to the intent and need for the measure. Another common problem for tax measures was the lack of where and how this new tax relates to the other existing taxes or bonded indebtedness of that jurisdiction. For example, a proposed tax measure may fail to mention what the existing tax rate is, or whether the new tax or bond was being added to an existing similar tax or bond. Thus, voters could not learn the amount of increase or even the percentage of increase if the proposed measure were to pass. Also common was the inclusion of extraneous verbiage designed to influence a favorable vote on the measure, such as emphasizing popular or feel-good spending categories that might be improved if the measure were to pass. However, there is no guarantee that the funds would be spent on those categories, going instead to other public purposes. As stated above, most of the measures exhibited some degree of proponent bias, emphasizing the benefits and glossing over the costs, meaning the authors want the measure to pass. While that tilt may be understandable, it is not in compliance with the law.
MEASURE A
Peralta Community College District Parcel Tax
To continue funding for community colleges in Alameda, Berkeley, and Oakland at existing tax rates, support affordable education to prepare students for jobs/ careers and university transfer; attract/ retain high quality faculty; shall Peralta Community College District’s measure be adopted, reauthorizing the existing $48 per parcel annually for 9 years, providing $8,000,000 annually, with oversight, funds that cannot be taken by the state or used for administrator salaries, all benefitting local colleges?”
Vote Required: 2/3
Criteria:
1-Intent and structure of tax (i.e. a % or rate for a sales or transfer tax, or a $ per parcel for a parcel tax)
2- Amount of the tax generated per year
3 -Duration of the tax
4- Is this a Special or General tax?
5- Where is the money specifically going? (If a special tax)
6-Is there another similar tax already in place? If so that tax info should be included.
7-Will this take 2/3, vote or simple majority to pass?
8.-Extraneous language unrelated to the matter which could be considered as deceptive to the
voter.
SCORE: 3.9
Comments: The score was lowered from the maximum of five because of the failure to provide information on where the money was specifically going, and because of extraneous verbiage designed to influence a Yes vote such as “can’t be taken by the state” The state is a principal funder of schools and is unlikely to take away locally raised funds.
MEASURE B
Castro Valley Unified School District Bond Measure.
Shall the measure to improve local classrooms/ school facilities; protect student safety/ security; repair/ replace aging roofs, heating, cooling, electrical/ plumbing systems; and update classrooms/ labs for science, technology, engineering, math, core academics, career/job training, by authorizing $212,000,000 in bonds at legal rates, levying $52.50 per $100,000 of assessed value, raising approximately $14,000,000 annually while bonds; are outstanding, with independent oversight and all funds staying local, be adopted?
Vote Required: 55%
Criteria:
1. Intent of bond
2. Amount of the bond
3. The annual cost should be stated in $ per $100,000 of assessed value of a property
4. Duration of the bond and total estimated cost to repay the bond
5. Is there another similar bond already in place? If so that bond information should be
included.
6. What is the money specifically being spent for?
7. Is it a Capital appreciation bond or a standard bond?*
8.-Extraneous language unrelated to the matter which could be considered as deceptive to the
voter.
*A capital appreciation bond defers most of the interest cost to later years resulting in a lower initial tax but greater total repayment cost.
SCORE: 3.2
Comments: The score was lowered from the maximum of five because of the failure to provide information on the duration of the bonds and the estimated cost of repayment, whether there were any existing bonds in place, whether the proposed bonds were Capital Appreciation bonds or follow a regular amortization schedule, and because of extraneous verbiage designed to influence a Yes vote such as “independent oversight” and “at legal rates” Would anyone expect Castro Valley to sell bonds not at legal rates?
MEASURE C
City of Oakland Business Tax Exemption
Shall the measure amending Oakland’s Business Tax Ordinance to provide one-year business tax exemptions for (1) certain small businesses with annual gross receipts of $1,000,000 or less, including retail sales, grocers, business and personal services, recreation and entertainment, and manufacturing, and (2} businesses that establish a new commercial location in the City; and authorizing the City Council to extend the exemptions on an annual basis for up to three additional years, be adopted?
Vote Required: 50%+1
Criteria:
1-Intent and structure of tax (i.e. a % or rate for a sales or transfer tax, or a $ per parcel for a parcel tax)
2- Amount of the tax generated per year
3 -Duration of the tax
4- Is this a Special or General tax?
5- Where is the money specifically going? (If a special tax)
6-Is there another similar tax already in place? If so that tax info should be included.
7-Will this take 2/3, vote or simple majority to pass?
8.-Extraneous language unrelated to the matter which could be considered as deceptive to the
voter.
SCORE: 3.6
Comments: The score was lowered from the maximum of five because of the failure to provide clarity as to why it’s needed, and failure to provide what the exemptions would cost the city in lost revenues. This measure is unique in that it is a measure to lower an existing tax.
MEASURE D
City of Oakland Charter Amendment
Shall the measure amending the City Charter to, among other things, expand the eligibility for service on the Board of the Police and Fire Retirement System and reduce the frequency of the Board’s mandatory meetings from monthly to no less than quarterly be adopted?
Required Vote: 50%+1
Criteria
1-Intent of the Measure –
2-Duration of the measure if it passes?
3-Are there any financial effects if this measure passes? If so- how much?
4-Where will the money go that is spent on this if it passes?
5- If there are financial impacts, is the source of that money made clear?
6- Does the measure deal with 1 or more issues?
7- What is the current situation that would remain if this measure does not pass?
8.-Extraneous language unrelated to the matter which could be considered as deceptive to the
voter.
SCORE: 1.8
Comments: The score was lowered from the maximum of five because of the failure to provide information on why the measure was needed. There is also no information on whether there would be costs to enacting the change in retirement board procedures. In particular, there was concern with the open-ended statement saying: “among other things” that would be amended by this measure . How could a voter know from the ballot language what other things may be affected?
MEASURE E
City of Oakland Parcel Tax
Shall the measure to: prevent increased 911 response times; maintain fire stations, fire protection services, police patrols and investigations, and gun-violence and crime prevention services; address homelessness; and remove illegal dumping and trash by imposing a parcel tax of $192 annually for single-family parcels, and other parcels as specified, exempting certain low-income and senior households and others, raising approximately $34,000,000 annually for nine years, with oversight, audits and public disclosure, be adopted?
Vote Required: 50%+1
Criteria:
1-Intent and structure of tax (i.e. a % or rate for a sales or transfer tax, or a $ per parcel for a parcel tax)
2- Amount of the tax generated per year
3 -Duration of the tax
4- Is this a Special or General tax?
5- Where is the money specifically going? (If a special tax)
6-Is there another similar tax already in place? If so that tax info should be included.
7-Will this take 2/3, vote or simple majority to pass?
8.-Extraneous language unrelated to the matter which could be considered as deceptive to the
voter.
SCORE: 2.6
Comments: The score was lowered from the maximum of five because of the failure to provide information on whether this is a General versus Special Tax. Tax Measure initiated by a citizen’s group only require a simple majority, while the same measure from a city council vote require a 2/3rds vote. The measure fails to say where the money was specifically going, and whether there were any existing taxes in place, and because of extraneous verbiage designed to influence a Yes vote such as including popular concerns such as fire, crime, trash dumping, 911 response times, etc. The money can be spent on other governmental purpose and may not go to the purported purposes. Calling for “Oversight, audits and public disclosures” means little because such measures are required of most local governmental actions.
MEASURE F
City of San Leandro Charter Amendment
Shall Section 225(a) of the San Leandro City Charter be amended to the following: The Mayor shall be elected by the registered voters of the City at large. All Council Members, except the Mayor, shall be elected by the registered voters of the City by district. In conformance with the California Voting Rights Act, one Council Member shall be nominated and elected from each Council Member district only by the registered voters of that district.
Required Vote: 50%+1
Criteria
1-Intent of the Measure –
2-Duration of the measure if it passes?
3-Are there any financial effects if this measure passes? If so- how much?
4-Where will the money go that is spent on this if it passes?
5- If there are financial impacts, is the source of that money made clear?
6-Does the measure deal with 1 or more issues?
7- What is the current situation that would remain if this measure does not pass?
8.-Extraneous language unrelated to the matter which could be considered as deceptive to the
voter.
SCORE: 2.8
Comments: The score was lowered from the maximum of five because of the failure to provide a clear objective for the measure and why it should be passed. It’s unclear what is being changed and what remains the same. There is no mention of long-term financial impacts and/or the costs of implementing these changes.
MEASURE G
Hayward Unified School District Parcel Tax
Shall the measure to support student learning/ protect local schools from deep budget cuts by sustaining strong reading, writing, math/ science programs; attracting/ retaining qualified teachers/ staff; and supporting all students, including those with special needs, by levying a $98 parcel tax for twelve years, providing approximately $4,000,000 annually that cannot be taken by the state/ federal government, with senior exemptions, annual inflation adjustments, and independent oversight, be adopted?
Vote Required: 2/3
Criteria:
1-Intent and structure of tax (i.e. a % or rate for a sales or transfer tax, or a $ per parcel for a parcel tax)
2- Amount of the tax generated per year
3 -Duration of the tax
4- Is this a Special or General tax?
5- Where is the money specifically going? (If a special tax)
6-Is there another similar tax already in place? If so that tax info should be included.
7-Will this take 2/3, vote or simple majority to pass?
8.-Extraneous language unrelated to the matter which could be considered as deceptive to the
voter.
SCORE: 3.5
Comments: The score was lowered from the maximum of five because of the failure to provide information on where the money was specifically going, and whether there were any existing taxes in place, and because of extraneous verbiage designed to influence a Yes vote such as “can’t be taken by the state” The state is a principal funder of schools and is unlikely to take away locally raised funds. Other extraneous verbiage includes “independent oversight”. That means little and should be expected anyway.
MEASURE H
Piedmont Unified School District Parcel Tax
To maintain the high quality of Piedmont schools, continue funding programs in math, science, technology, engineering, English, music and arts, attract and retain qualified teachers, update instructional materials and technology, and maintain manageable class sizes, shall Piedmont Unified School District’s measure be adopted, renewing the expiring school parcel tax at the then-current rate ($3,174 per parcel) until ended by voters, with independent citizen oversight, annual inflation adjustments, and all funds (approximately $12 million annually) benefiting local
students?
Vote Required: 2/3
Criteria:
1-Intent and structure of tax (i.e. a % or rate for a sales or transfer tax, or a $ per parcel for a parcel tax)
2- Amount of the tax generated per year
3 -Duration of the tax
4- Is this a Special or General tax?
5- Where is the money specifically going? (If a special tax)
6-Is there another similar tax already in place? If so that tax info should be included.
7-Will this take 2/3, vote or simple majority to pass?
8.-Extraneous language unrelated to the matter which could be considered as deceptive to the voter.
SCORE: 4.2
Comments: The essential descriptive criteria were answered in a straightforward manner; however, the score was lowered from the maximum of five because of extraneous verbiage designed to influence a Yes vote such as “until ended by the voters”, which essentially means it’s both a permanent tax, but also with permanent cost-of-living adjustments. The $12 million annual figure should be described as a minimum with anticipated increases. It also says that it would benefit local students. This is extraneous because it’s basically true of all local taxes.
Next Steps:
We are hoping every agency will get a 5 on our scale and the nice thing is ..it is really easy to do…just put in the simple information listed in the section “Alameda County Ballot Title Ratings Criteria” on our website under Information Needed
Our goal is to have a minimum amount of information within the 75 word ballot measure label that the average voter would like to see and more importantly need in order to make an informed decision on that measure .
This should be a minimum expectation for any agency interested in good governance and prioritizing an informed electorate. This information should not be a moving target and is especially simple on a tax or bond measure ….it’s always the same information needed for any tax or bond measure regardless of which agency is putting that measure on the ballot.
BALLOT WATCH DOG 