Politics
Downtown Core Sales Tax Referendum: Projected Changes to Resident Transit Costs and Route Funding
Voters in Downtown Core face a November decision on a 0.5 percent sales tax increase that would add roughly $40 to $60 annually to household spending on taxable purchases while directing new revenue to five local bus corridors.
How we reported this
The Downtown Core City Council placed Measure T on the November 3 2026 ballot, proposing a permanent 0.5 percent increase in the local sales tax to support transit operations and capital projects. The measure would affect every resident who buys goods subject to the tax, from groceries at the Riverfront Market to clothing at the Core Plaza shops.
Current Funding Pressures
Transit ridership in Downtown Core reached 4.8 million boardings last fiscal year, yet the municipal transit agency reports a $1.9 million operating shortfall for the coming budget cycle. Without new local revenue, service planners have already scheduled a 12 percent reduction in weekend frequencies on the 14, 22 and 47 routes starting January 2027.
Measure T would generate an estimated $2.4 million each year, according to the city finance department’s March 2026 revenue model. Those funds are earmarked for expanded evening service on the 22 route serving the hospital district and for replacing 18 aging buses whose average age now exceeds 14 years.
Examples for Households
A household spending $12,000 yearly on taxable items would pay an additional $60 under the measure. In return, the transit agency projects that average wait times on the three busiest downtown routes would drop from 14 minutes to 10 minutes during peak hours. Residents who rely on the 47 line to reach the industrial park would gain two additional late-evening departures each weekday.
The measure also includes $400,000 annually for sidewalk repairs along transit stops on Central Avenue, a corridor where 23 percent of households report no access to a private vehicle. City staff estimate that targeted repairs could be completed within 18 months of voter approval.
Ballots will be mailed to registered voters beginning October 5. The county elections office will certify results by December 1, after which the tax would take effect on April 1 2027 if approved by a simple majority.