Editorials

Voters in Alameda County will cast votes on an array of ballot measures Tuesday, with voters in Castro Valley poised to decide whether to become an incorporated city and Fremont and Berkeley voters considering raises for local officeholders. 

Measure Q would create the new city of Castro Valley. If approved by voters, the city would exist as of July 1 and be governed by a five-member city council. Proponents say that incorporation would make Castro Valley more responsive to residents, while critics worry that the city would not be able to support itself financially. State law requires that that voters of a proposed city approve an incorporation by a simple majority vote. 

In Berkeley, Measure K proposes a boost in salaries of school board members, from $875 a month to $1,500 a month. Meanwhile, Fremont City Council members and the mayor would see their salaries increased if voters there pass Measure S. Under the measure, the monthly salary of each member of the City Council would increase to $2,083 from $1,407 and the salary of the mayor would increase to $2,916 from $2,211 per month. 

Measure W, if approved, would allow the Tracy Joint Unified High School District to issue $103 million in bonds to fund school construction and improvements. As a school bond issue, the measure requires 55 percent approval for passage. 

Voters in the city of Fremont will vote on Measure R, a $51 million bond measure that would replace three small fire stations and seismically upgrade seven others. A two-thirds vote is required for passage. 

Measure A would allow the Alameda County to adopt a hotel and lodging tax of 10 percent of the rental charge that would apply to unincorporated areas of the county. With the exception of Piedmont, all cities in the county currently impose a hotel and lodging tax of 8 to 12 percent. 

Measure B would enable the county to continue imposing a business license tax in unincorporated areas. 

If passed, Measure AA would permit the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District to levy a $24 annual parcel tax over the next five years, to protect bus services for children and seniors, help ensure passenger security and help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. 

Measure BB would allow BART to issue up to $1.05 billion in bonds to perform seismic upgrades on  

BART facilities in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties. 

Measures AA and BB require a two-thirds majority for passage.