Measure B would raise the county sales tax by five-eighths of a cent for five years — based on funding projections the county’s own Board had to correct the same day it voted.
Measure B would stack on top of existing county and city taxes, with another regional transit tax proposal also possible this November.
These points are drawn from county documents and published reporting on tax rates, timing, and the rollout of Measure B.
Measure B would increase the county sales tax by 0.625%. Based on current California Department of Tax and Fee Administration rates, that would push the total sales tax to 10.875% in the county’s highest-tax cities.
State law already authorizes a regional transit tax measure for the November 2026 ballot, with planning documents describing a 0.5% increase for Contra Costa County if that measure goes forward.
On March 3, the Board corrected Recital H of the ordinance — changing “annual revenue losses exceeding $300 million” to “cumulative revenue losses of an estimated $239 million by 2029” — and then voted to place Measure B on the ballot anyway.
Select your city or town to compare the current sales-tax rate with the rate if Measure B passes, and if both Measure B and the November transit tax pass.
Current rate for the selected city or area.
Current rate plus 0.625 points.
Current rate plus 1.125 points.
The county says HR1 creates an emergency requiring immediate action. Its own documents tell a more complicated story.
County staff originally described $307 million in ongoing annual losses. Supervisor Andersen, the lone no vote, flagged the error. Staff confirmed it was a cumulative 4-year total. The Board revised Recital H of the ordinance that same day, lowering the figure to $239 million cumulative through 2029. Framing cumulative losses as annual makes the gap appear 7–8× larger than it is in any given year.
See the official documents →Per the county’s own budget slide, federal legislative impacts are zero in FY25-26. Work requirements begin in January 2027. Six-month eligibility redeterminations begin in 2027. DSH hospital cuts are delayed until at least October 2027 per the county’s own presentation. Yet Measure B would start collecting taxes in October 2026 — a full year before most cuts even begin.
See the timeline →The Disproportionate Share Hospital cuts were mandated by the Affordable Care Act in 2010 — not HR1. Congress has delayed them on a bipartisan basis more than a dozen times across four presidential administrations. Even the county’s own March 3 presentation acknowledges the latest delay extends to October 1, 2027. There is no basis for treating these cuts as inevitable or attributing them to the current Congress.
Read the DSH facts →The county says it must act now. The actual implementation calendar tells a different story.
Per the county’s own budget slide, federal impacts are zero in FY25–26. Measure B starts collecting in October 2026 — locking in five years of higher taxes before most impacts are even known.
Dig deeper into the facts: look up how sales-tax rates would change in your community, read the full myths-versus-facts page, explore the county’s reserve funds, track how the revenue-loss figure has been revised, and understand what’s really at stake on Medi-Cal.
Full side-by-side discussion of county funding claims, HR1, DSH cuts, timing, and alternatives — with the official county documents as evidence.
Pick your city or town and compare your current rate to the rate if Measure B passes, and if both Measure B and the November transit tax pass.
California law caps combined local sales taxes. Several Contra Costa cities are already near the limit — the tax may not be legally collectible everywhere without state legislation.
Contra Costa has $1.1 billion in unreserved general funds — more than three times the level financial experts recommend. The county could draw down reserves to cover any real funding losses without raising the sales tax.
The figure used to justify Measure B has been revised downward twice — first from a $307 million annual loss to a $239 million four-year cumulative total, then reduced further after Congress again delayed hospital funding cuts that predate HR1 entirely.
Part of the revenue loss driving Measure B involves shifting undocumented immigrants off full-scope Medi-Cal — which charges no premiums, copayments, or deductibles. Most Contra Costa taxpayers pay all three for their own coverage.
The pro-Measure B campaign has raised $125,000 — 100% from two public employee union PACs whose own mission statements describe their core purpose as raising member wages and benefits.
The 2020 Measure X sales tax raised far more than projected and helped fund a Guaranteed Income Pilot for released inmates, an African American Wellness Hub, and an Office of Racial Equity. Now they want another one.
Contra Costa County paid its approximately 9,500 full-time employees $1.7 billion in total pay and benefits in 2024. Current MOUs lock in roughly 20% cumulative wage increases through 2026-2027 -- regardless of whether Measure B passes.
Coverage of Measure B, the legal challenges, the cost of living in Contra Costa, and the broader squeeze on California households.
A Contra Costa Superior Court judge ruled in favor of taxpayer petitioners Sandra Kallander and Dr. David Minor, ordering the Measure B ballot question rewritten before June 2. The court found the original wording argumentative and prejudicial, striking phrases that characterized a No vote as risking hospital closures and ordering the rate expressed as “(0.625%)” for clarity.
Read the coverage →A second legal challenge, Minor v. Connelly (Case No. N26-0554), filed March 27, targets the official ballot arguments filed by Measure B proponents — including county supervisors — rather than the ballot question itself. The petition alleges the proponents’ argument contains verifiably false claims.
Read the article →A new analysis ranked California 5th worst in the nation for cost-of-living burden. Despite an average hourly wage of $40.93, residents must put in significantly more hours than in 2007 just to cover rent, groceries, and transportation — because costs have far outrun wages.
Read the report →California’s pump prices are driven in large part by high sales tax rates, which apply at the pump. Measure B’s 0.625% increase would apply to every gallon filled, hitting commuters and working families hardest.
See Contra Costa gas prices (GasBuddy) →Coverage of the March 3 board meeting where staff revised the loss estimate downward but the board proceeded with the vote.
Read the article →Supervisor Andersen’s dissent and her identification of the “ongoing vs. cumulative” error in county staff materials before the March 3 vote.
Read the article →Media inquiries about Case Nos. N26-0456 and N26-0554, or the campaign’s record, are welcome. We respond quickly.
Email the campaign →Measure B would make everyday purchases more expensive across Contra Costa County — and may not be legally collectible everywhere without state action.
Before voting yes on any tax measure, it is reasonable to ask:
Help us get accurate information to Contra Costa County voters before June.
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