# Local and Regional Ballot Measures: Almaden Valley, San Jose (ZIP 95120), November 3, 2026

Research compiled on Election Day, Nov 3, 2026. This guide is neutral and makes no recommendations. State propositions and candidate races are covered separately.

## Bottom line

**An Almaden Valley voter should see only one local or regional lettered measure: Measure RTM, the Bay Area regional transit sales tax.**

- **City of San José:** no measures this November. SPUR's San José event page (Oct 13, 2026) says "there are no local measures on the San José ballot this election." The county-wide measure lists (A through S) include no San José city measure.
- **Santa Clara County:** no countywide measure this November. The county's 0.625% sales tax was Measure A in **November 2025**, not 2026.
- **School districts serving Almaden Valley:** no measures found for San José Unified, Union School District, Oak Grove School District, Campbell Union High School District, the community college districts, or the County Office of Education. The county's local-measure lettering runs consecutively from A to S, and none of those letters belong to these districts.
- **Special districts:** no Valley Water measure. Valley Water has only director races, in Districts 1, 6 and 7. There is also no Open Space Authority measure on this ballot.

### Measures that are not on this ballot

Searches for these return 2026 results, but they were on the **June 2, 2026 primary**, not on November's ballot:

- **San José Measure A (June 2026):** raised the hotel tax (Transient Occupancy Tax) from 10% to 12% for the general fund, effective Oct 1, 2026. It was reported passing with about 65.6% in early returns. It is **not** on the November ballot. Ballotpedia's Oct 21, 2026 news roundup lists it under San José, but its own link labels it "(June_2026)". SPUR and the county measure lists confirm that San José has no November measure.
  - Sources: https://www.kqed.org/news/12085548/san-jose-measure-a-hotel-tax-increase-appears-headed-to-victory, https://www.spur.org/voter-guide/2026-06/sj-measure-a-hotel-tax-increase
- **Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Measure D (June 2026):** a citizen-initiative parcel tax of 2 cents per square foot of building area, capped at $7,500 per parcel. It raises about $17M a year and passed 55.4% to 44.6%. It is **not** on the November ballot.
  - Sources: https://localnewsmatters.org/2026/06/02/santa-clara-county-measure-d-open-space-parcel/, https://localnewsmatters.org/2026/06/25/santa-clara-county-parcel-tax-to-generate-17m-a-year-for-open-space-preservation/

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## Measure RTM: Connect Bay Area Transit Initiative (regional)

**Who votes on it:** every Almaden Valley voter.

| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Letter | **RTM** (Regional Transit Measure). The same letter is used in all five counties. |
| Jurisdiction | Public Transit Revenue Measure District, created by SB 63 (Wiener/Arreguín, signed Oct 13, 2025). It covers **Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara** counties. The district's board is the MTC board. |
| Official title | "Connect Bay Area Transit Initiative" |
| Type | Special-purpose **sales (transactions and use) tax**, placed on the ballot by **citizen initiative petition**. Supporters filed about 306,000 signatures; the measure was certified July 1, 2026 and accepted by the district July 24, 2026. |
| Vote threshold | **Simple majority (50% + 1) of the combined vote across all five counties**, not county by county. Santa Clara County could vote no and the measure could still pass region-wide, and the reverse is also true. The threshold is a simple majority because the measure came through a citizen petition. If MTC had placed it on the ballot itself, it would have needed two-thirds. Some older advocacy material cites a two-thirds requirement, which is outdated for this route. |
| Rate | **0.5% (half-cent)** sales tax in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo counties, and 1% in San Francisco. In San José the combined sales tax would rise from about **10.0% to about 10.5%**. San José's current rate rose to 10.0% on Apr 1, 2026 after the county's 2025 Measure A. Exact rates vary by address; check the CDTFA lookup. |
| Duration | **14 years**, from April 1, 2027 to April 1, 2041 |
| Revenue | About **$980 million a year** region-wide, the figure in the ballot question. MTC has estimated about $1 billion. In Santa Clara County the half-cent raises roughly $300M a year. |
| Santa Clara County allocation | Per the impartial analysis as reported by Bay City News, **about 85% of revenue raised in the county goes to VTA**, including repaving roads used by transit. Estimates of VTA's share range from about $245M to $264M a year. Statute text cited by critics gives VTA 84.37% of county revenue for "public transit expenses." The remaining ~15% covers the county's share of regional programs and administration (fare programs, accessibility, wayfinding/mapping, MTC administration) plus VTA's agreed share of **Caltrain's** deficit. The **BART Silicon Valley Phase II** (downtown San José) extension gets no direct money from the measure according to VTA and Bay City News; critics dispute this (see opponents). |
| Oversight | Annual audits and an independent oversight committee. The committee checks that the district distributes money as the ordinance requires, but it does **not** control how transit agencies spend their shares. The district board (MTC) may amend the allocation without a new vote if the change "furthers the purposes," but it cannot raise or extend the tax without voter approval. |

### Ballot question (paraphrase from BallotReady and KQED)

Should the measure be adopted that enacts a 0.5% sales tax (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara) and 1% (San Francisco) for 14 years, raising about $980,000,000 a year? Its stated purposes are preserving BART, Caltrain, VTA, SamTrans, AC Transit, Muni and other transit; supporting transit safety, cleanliness, affordability and reliability; repairing targeted roads and potholes; and requiring financial transparency, oversight and accountability.

### Plain-English summary

Bay Area transit agencies, especially BART, Muni, Caltrain and AC Transit, face large operating deficits as pandemic-era emergency money runs out. This measure adds a half-cent sales tax in Santa Clara County for 14 years to fund transit operations and some road repair. Most of the money raised locally stays with VTA. Part of it covers Santa Clara County's share of Caltrain's shortfall and regional programs.

- **A YES vote means:** you support adding a half-cent sales tax in Santa Clara County (one cent in SF), from April 2027 to April 2041, to fund BART, Caltrain, VTA, Muni, AC Transit and other agencies, plus targeted road repair.
- **A NO vote means:** you oppose the new sales tax. Rates stay where they are, and the agencies would need to rely on existing funds, cuts or other sources.

### What happens locally if it fails (agency projections)

- **Caltrain:** projects a $75M deficit. It has floated going from 15-minute to hourly peak service, ending service at 9 p.m., closing more than a third of stations, and ending weekend service. South County service (San José to Gilroy) would be "very much on the table."
- **BART:** faces a structural deficit of about $350M to $400M a year. Its contingency plan includes up to about 70% fewer train hours, up to 15 station closures, and fares up to 50% higher. The two Santa Clara County stations (Milpitas and Berryessa) are VTA-funded and "unlikely to be affected."
- **VTA:** says it is financially stable, plans no cuts either way, and projects about a $15M deficit by 2027. VTA's board chair says service "would not get better" without the measure. VTA has drafted a local investment plan for its share: bus corridors, faster service, capital projects, and possibly autonomous vehicles. VTA says it is not advocating a vote either way.

### Supporters and their arguments

- **Who:** the Connect Bay Area campaign; State Sens. Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguín (SB 63 authors); Rep. Nancy Pelosi; SEIU Local 1021; League of Women Voters Bay Area; Greenbelt Alliance; tech entrepreneur Chris Larsen (a major funder).
- **Argument 1:** Without new money, BART and Caltrain face catastrophic cuts, including closed stations, hourly or no weekend Caltrain, and lost South County service. That would push more people onto already congested roads and hurt the regional economy.
- **Argument 2:** Transit is essential to the region's economy, environment and quality of life. A time-limited, 14-year tax with audits and oversight protects service while agencies stabilize.

### Opponents and their arguments

- **Who:** Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association; Committee for Affordable Bay Area Transit (president Gregg Dieguez); Alameda County and Contra Costa taxpayer associations (they wrote the official argument against); San Francisco Taxpayers Association; former BART director Debora Allen; former state Sens. Steve Glazer and Quentin Kopp. Marc Joffe of SHIFT-Bay Area published a critique focused on Santa Clara County.
- **Argument 1:** Tax fatigue and regressivity. Santa Clara County just raised its sales tax (Measure A, 2025), so San José would reach about 10.5%, among the highest in the state, and sales taxes hit lower-income residents hardest. Agencies already receive about $6 billion a year from existing taxes, tolls and grants. Opponents say the agencies should cut costs (overtime, labor contracts, reallocating capital funds) and come back with a smaller ask.
- **Argument 2:** Weak accountability and Santa Clara-specific concerns. The oversight committee cannot control agency spending ("fox guarding the henhouse"), and MTC can change allocations without a vote. Locally, VTA is not in a deficit crisis, so critics argue much of its roughly $264M a year could end up supporting the BART Phase II downtown extension (about $12.7B and rising) rather than rescuing service. VTA disputes this. Opponents also call Caltrain's South County service highly subsidized.

### Legal note

Opponents sued over the ballot wording, arguing that "preserving" was biased and that revenue was understated. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Frederick S. Chung **denied** the petition in late August 2026 and found the question accurate. No court challenge to the simple-majority threshold was found.

### Endorsement status unconfirmed

- San José Mayor Matt Mahan: in 2025 he pressed MTC for guardrails and a sunset. His current position on RTM is **unconfirmed**.
- Santa Clara County supervisors' and VTA board members' individual positions: **unconfirmed**.

### Sources

- KQED voter guide: https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/regional-measure-rtm
- Bay City News / Local News Matters, regional overview (Oct 22, 2026): https://localnewsmatters.org/2026/10/22/regional-transit-measure-bay-area/
- Local News Matters, Santa Clara County angle (Oct 11, 2026): https://localnewsmatters.org/2026/10/11/santa-clara-county-transit-tax-measure/
- Local News Matters, Santa Clara County Nov 3, 2026 ballot list: https://localnewsmatters.org/santa-clara-november-3-2026/
- SPUR on Santa Clara and San Mateo local investment: https://www.spur.org/news/2026-06-18/what-regional-transit-measure-means-local-investment-santa-clara-and-san-mateo
- GrowSF (SF advocacy group; used only for legal and structural facts): https://growsf.org/voter-guide/san-francisco-voter-guide-november-2026-election/measures/prop-rtm/
- BallotReady ballot question: https://www.ballotready.org/measures/measure-rtm
- KQED, ballot-language lawsuit ruling: https://www.kqed.org/news/12097276/bay-area-transit-funding-ballot-question-isnt-biased-judge-rules
- San José Spotlight, VTA spending plan: https://sanjosespotlight.com/vta-touts-spending-plan-for-possible-bay-area-sales-tax-increase/
- Mountain View Voice (Apr 2026, VTA share and SVTA opposition): https://www.mv-voice.com/?p=538267
- SHIFT-Bay Area critique (opposition viewpoint): https://shiftbayarea.substack.com/p/santa-clara-countys-transit-tax-is
- Qualification: https://contracosta.news/2026/07/01/connect-bay-area-ballot-measure-to-save-public-transit-officially-qualifies-for-november-2026-election/

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## Edge case: Measure Q, Cambrian School District parcel tax

**Who votes on it:** probably **not** Almaden Valley 95120 voters. It is listed here only because Cambrian School District borders Almaden Valley to the north, in the Cambrian Park area (95124 and parts of 95118 and 95008). Its schools are Bagby, Fammatre, Farnham, Steindorf STEAM and Price Middle School. A voter in Almaden Valley proper is normally in **San José Unified** or **Union** for elementary school. Anyone on the northern edge should check their sample ballot.

| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Letter | **Q** |
| Jurisdiction | Cambrian School District |
| Type | Parcel tax |
| Threshold | **Two-thirds** (66.67%) |
| Rate and duration | **$148 per parcel per year**, adjusted annually for inflation, for **8 years**, starting in FY 2027-28 |
| Revenue | About $1M a year |
| Uses | Math, science and technology; reading, writing, arts and music; recruiting and keeping teachers; class sizes; counseling and intervention. The money cannot go to administrator salaries. |
| Exemptions and oversight | Senior (65+) homeowner exemption, with existing exemptions carried over. Annual independent audits. |
| YES / NO | YES approves the $148 parcel tax for 8 years. NO means no new parcel tax. |
| Supporters / opponents | The district board placed it on the ballot on June 18, 2026. Named supporters and opponents for this measure: **unconfirmed**. |

- Sources: https://www.cambriansd.org/fs/pages/3082, https://localnewsmatters.org/santa-clara-november-3-2026/

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## Other Santa Clara County measures on Nov 3, 2026 (not on Almaden Valley ballots)

For completeness, here is the full county lettering, so the guide can show that nothing else applies.

| Letter | Jurisdiction | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| A | Morgan Hill | Make City Treasurer appointive |
| B | Gilroy | Hotel tax from 9% to up to 13% |
| C | City of Santa Clara | Public works contracting charter amendment |
| D | Los Altos | Voter approval needed to sell, lease or change downtown parking plazas |
| E | Mountain View | Charter modernization |
| F | Mountain View | Hotel and short-term rental tax from 10% to up to 15% |
| G, H, I | Sunnyvale | Charter amendments: public works contracting, city manager settlement authority, appointed council members serving until a successor is elected |
| J | Palo Alto | 0.5% sales tax |
| K | Milpitas | Business tax update |
| L | Cupertino | Two-thirds voter approval required to rezone parks and open space |
| M | Gilroy Unified SD | $295M bond |
| N | Los Gatos-Saratoga Union HSD | $321M bond |
| O | Alum Rock Union ESD | Parcel tax replacement ($310 per parcel, 7 years) |
| P | Alum Rock Union ESD | $100M bond |
| Q | Cambrian SD | $148 parcel tax, 8 years (see edge case above) |
| R | Orchard SD (North San José) | Parcel tax of 4 cents per square foot |
| S | El Camino Healthcare District | Director term limits |

- Sources: https://localnewsmatters.org/santa-clara-november-3-2026/, https://www.californiachoices.org/ballot-measures/county/santa-clara-november-2026

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## Gaps and caveats

- The Registrar's own measure list, impartial analyses and sample ballots on vote.santaclaracounty.gov returned HTTP 403 and could not be read directly. Two independent compilations (Bay City News / Local News Matters and California Choices) agree on letters A through L and RTM, and the Local News Matters list continues consecutively through S. **Recommend the voter confirm against their own sample ballot or the Registrar's lookup.**
- The exact text of RTM's official Santa Clara County impartial analysis and the full ballot arguments were not retrieved. The "85% to VTA" figure is as quoted by Bay City News from the impartial analysis.
- VTA's annual share is reported as roughly $245M to $264M a year depending on source and year.
- Current positions of Mayor Mahan and county supervisors on RTM: **unconfirmed**.
- Oak Grove School District discussed a parcel-tax survey in April 2026. No Oak Grove measure appears in the November letter list, so it apparently did not go on this ballot.