|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
VOLUNTEER. From Committee for Affordable Bay Area Transit on July 6th, 2026
Contact: info@cocotax.org Website: https://transitaccountability.com
Committee for Affordable Bay Area Transit says agencies should fix what is broken before locking in a 14-year, $14+ billion tax
WALNUT CREEK, CA — Taxpayer advocates, transit reformers, and civic leaders from across the Bay Area today announced the formation of the Committee for Affordable Bay Area Transit, a campaign committee opposing the regional transit sales tax measure headed for the November 2026 ballot in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. The committee, sponsored by the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, includes representatives from all five affected counties and has launched a public information website at https://transitaccountability.com.
The measure, authorized by SB 63 (Wiener, 2025), would raise the sales tax by half a cent in four counties and a full cent in San Francisco for fourteen years. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission projects the tax would collect about $1 billion per year, or more than $14 billion over its term, on top of the roughly $6.2 billion in tax, toll, and grant subsidies that Bay Area transit operators already receive annually.
“Bay Area families already pay some of the highest sales taxes in California, and this measure would push total sales taxes in nine Bay Area cities up to or over 11 percent,” said Marc Joffe, President of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association and a member of the new committee. “Sales taxes fall hardest on working families, renters, and anyone living paycheck to paycheck. Before asking voters to lock in another billion dollars a year for fourteen years, the transit agencies should explain why BART’s operating subsidy has risen 257 percent since 2019 while service was cut, and why 51 BART employees collected more than $400,000 apiece in pay and benefits in 2024.”
The committee notes that the tax’s sponsors chose a citizens’ initiative route, gathering signatures across five counties, so the measure can pass with a simple majority rather than the two-thirds vote that would be required if the district placed it on the ballot itself.
“This measure locks taxpayers into today’s cost structure for fourteen years at the very moment that driverless vehicles, services like Waymo, and the permanent shift to remote work are transforming how the Bay Area moves,” said Gregg Dieguez of SHIFT-Bay Area, also a committee member representing San Mateo County. “SB 63 contains language about reviews and oversight, but none of it is binding. The agencies can continue business as usual while collecting the money. Voters deserve real reform, consolidated administration, and meaningful cost control before they are asked for another dime.”
The committee emphasizes that voting no does not shut down transit. Instead, it argues that the state should redirect a portion of the roughly $1 billion per year in cap-and-invest funds now flowing to high-speed rail, and that pausing the region’s two largest capital megaprojects, BART’s Silicon Valley Phase II extension and Caltrain’s Portal downtown extension, would free committed state and local dollars for operations while planners design a leaner measure for 2028.
The Committee for Affordable Bay Area Transit is recruiting volunteers, distributing lawn signs beginning in August, and accepting contributions at transitaccountability.com. Residents of all five counties can look up the effect of the tax on their own city’s sales tax rate and household budget using the calculator on the site.
About the Committee for Affordable Bay Area Transit
The Committee for Affordable Bay Area Transit is a campaign committee sponsored by the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, a nonprofit civic organization founded in 1937 and based in Martinez, California. The committee includes representatives from Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. Contributions are not tax deductible.
The Committee expects to change its name to include the alphanumeric designation of the
so-called “Connect Bay Area Transit” measure once that has been assigned by election
officials.
Become a Transit Tax Action Volunteer
Help Defeat the Five-County Bay Area Transit Sales Tax This November
The November ballot will include a major new sales tax measure to provide bail-out funding for Bay Area transit agencies. If you believe taxpayers deserve greater transit accountability and efficiency reforms before approving new taxes, you can help.
I’m organizing a volunteer team to share factual information and encourage informed discussion on Facebook community groups throughout the five counties affected by the measure.
What Volunteers Will Do
Each volunteer will:
- Help identify and monitor local Facebook community groups.
- Post and share fact-based information about the transit tax.
- Respond respectfully to questions and reinforce key messages during the campaign.
- Spend as much or as little time as their schedule allows during the approximately ten weeks leading up to Election Day.
Our goal is to build a network covering all 69 cities included in the measure. We’ve already identified several groups and are looking for volunteers to help expand that effort.
Why This Matters
Many voters are concerned about the growing Bay Area tax burden and want stronger fiscal accountability. A recent statewide public opinion poll found that a majority of Californians prefer lower taxes and fewer government services. By ensuring voters see balanced information about this tax measure, we can help them make an informed decision at the ballot box.
No special experience is required—just a willingness to participate, communicate respectfully, and help spread accurate information.
If you’d like to join the effort or simply learn more before deciding, please contact me.
Bryan Scott
Email: scott.bryan@comcast.net
Cell: 925-918-3070
Together, we can help voters hear another side of the debate before they cast their ballots.
SHIFT-Bay Area’s Gregg Dieguez Analyzes Bay Area Transit Costs as a Rebuttal for Senate Bill 63;
Author: mdrag
x
