Measure B 06/02/26

Impartial analysis by County Counsel of Measure B

Measure B

Measure B asks voters whether the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (“SMART”) should extend its existing ¼- cent sales tax for an additional period of 30 years through March 31, 2059. Measure B is a voter initiative signed by the requisite number of voters. Pursuant to Public Utilities Code section 105045, the SMART Board of Directors requested by unanimous vote that the Boards of Supervisors of the Counties of Sonoma and Marin call a special election to place Measure B on the ballot on June 2, 2026.

SMART is a rail district created by the Legislature in 2003 to evaluate, plan, and implement passenger rail service from Cloverdale in Sonoma County to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal in Marin County.

Voters approved the existing ¼-cent sales tax in November 2008. For 17 years, the tax has funded the construction and commencement of operation of a commuter rail transit system that currently extends from Larkspur in Marin County to Windsor in Sonoma County. The current tax will expire in 2029. If approved, Measure B would extend the tax (with no increase in rate) for an additional 30 years, providing approximately $51,000,000 annually. The tax would continue to be collected as it is now, in the same manner as a state-imposed sales tax.

Measure B would update the existing Expenditure Plan, which governs how the funds raised by the tax can be spent. Because Measure B continues a special purpose tax, monies collected will be placed in a special fund (the SMART Initiative Fund) and may be spent only for the purposes set forth in the Expenditure Plan incorporated into the full text of the measure. Proceeds deposited into the SMART Initiative Fund shall be used to support the operations and maintenance of the system, ensure long-term viability, and advance future expansion. The purposes include; increasing ridership and enhancing high-quality passenger rail service; enhancing and expanding a safe, connected and user-friendly pathway network; advancing regional connectivity to complete the rail and pathway from Larkspur to Cloverdale and to

explore future expansions; and supporting freight movement and future rail service. Measure B would continue the accountability safeguards in the existing tax which include annual audits by an independent accountant and independent oversight by a Citizens Oversight Committee established by the Board of Directors.

The tax proposed by Measure B will become effective if approved by a majority of those voting on the measure.

A “yes” vote on Measure B will authorize SMART to extend the existing tax through March 31, 2059.

A “no” vote on Measure B will prohibit SMART from extending the tax, and the existing tax would continue in effect until March 31, 2029.

s/BRIAN E. WASHINGTON
County Counsel

s/JOSHUA A. MYERS
Sonoma County Counsel

Argument in favor of Measure B

SMART is more than a train. For thousands of North Bay residents, it’s a lifeline that connects the people and places of the North Bay.

Every day, thousands of riders take the train and use the paths, relying on SMART to get to school, work, medical appointments, and more. SMART helps seniors stay mobile, gives students safe transportation to school, and lets working families get where they need to go without sitting in traffic.

Yes on Measure B continues the existing SMART funding that voters already approved. It does not raise taxes. By extending our support for the train and pathway system, we can protect the services our communities depend on and keep SMART running for decades to come.

SMART doesn’t just help riders, it contributes to every community in Sonoma and Marin. By providing a reliable alternative to driving, the train helps reduce traffic on Highway 101, cuts pollution, and makes our region more connected and resilient. Whether you ride the train or not, fewer cars on the road benefits everyone.

Our community has already invested millions in building SMART and the bicycle and pedestrian pathway that runs alongside it. Voting Yes on Measure B protects that investment, maintains clean and safe trains, and ensures this vital service remains available for the people who rely on it every day.

SMART is locally controlled, with independent financial audits and citizen oversight to ensure funds are spent responsibly and only for SMART.

For workers, students, seniors, and families across Sonoma and Marin counties, SMART is an important part of daily life.

Please join us, along with the Sierra Club, the League of Women Voters, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, Marin County Bicycle Coalition, North Bay Labor Council, North Bay Leadership Council, and the chambers of commerce for Santa Rosa, San Rafael, and Petaluma, by voting Yes on Measure B to continue SMART service — without raising taxes — and keep our North Bay moving forward.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MARIN COUNTY
Becky Bingea, President

SARAH BELLAK
Registered nurse

NICK MASON
High School Student

NORTH BAY LEADERSHP COUNCIL
Joanne K Webster, President and CEO

MAGGIE FISHMAN
Santa Rosa Junior College, Trustee

Rebuttal to argument in favor of Measure B

SMART’s proponents’ arguments raise more questions than they answer. They include:

It’s Just a Renewal: Yes, but it’s a renewal for 30 years; essentially a forever tax that will be paid by the next two generations. SMART will haul in $1.5 billion in local sales taxes before inflation. All this to keep afloat a single-track, limited capacity, dirty diesel train. There are many higher and better needs for the funds.

Seniors and Students Ride Free: Free riders comprise 43% of current passenger count, bolstering perceptions of SMART’s growth and popularity. These freebies expire in June, just after the election. Will they be extended for 30 years? There is no commitment on whether they will be extended at all—never mind over 30 years. Ridership will likely contract materially; a virtual certainty with the next recession.

Citizen Oversight Committee: This is false reassurance that polls well with voters. SMART’s committee is like every other COC, just another rubber stamp. We have served on multiple committees. No COC has the real ability to challenge management on any issue.

Taxpayer Subsidy: For the most frequent weekday riders taking five round trips: $390 of taxpayer paid rides. Too much.

Passenger Demographics: This ¼ -cent sales tax, like all sales taxes, is regressive. In SMART’s case, it’s even more egregious. Lower-income service workers who need door-to-door transportation must drive instead. They pay the freight but never take the ride. SMART is not even an afterthought in their lives or commute.

Vote no on Measure B.

COALITION OF SENSIBLE TAXPAYERS
Mimi Willard, President

Argument against Measure B

In 2020, concerned citizens’ groups in Sonoma and Marin Counties campaigned together to defeat Measure I, SMART’s attempt impose its existing $0.25 sales tax for 30 years. We won by 11 points. In doing so, we and our experts convinced voters that greenhouse gas emission savings were microscopic, relief from 101 traffic congestion was non-existent (and indeed worse in San Rafael), and ridership numbers and projections were suspect. Most importantly, the cost to taxpayers per-rider was prohibitive, more than $45 every time someone set foot on the train. That, and the billions needed to finish the line to Cloverdale, would be better spent on buses rather than a single-track, limited capacity diesel train.

So, what has changed in the last six years? Answer: They moved the goal posts. Special legislation was passed in Sacramento to allow this SMART tax measure to be put on the ballot as a “citizens’ initiative” that needs only 50%+1 voter approval. A charm offensive was then announced to juice up ridership numbers. Seniors and students now ride for free and comprise 42% of total ridership. Taxpayers are on the hook for all these “free rides” We calculate the subsidy at $90 per round-trip, even with the freebies.

Then, the special interests kicked in, forming The SMART Initiative PAC. Major contributions were raised from unions, consultants, engineering firms and others. They contributed in some cases tens of thousands of dollars. Per recent filings, the PAC has raised over $850,000 and paid out almost $700,000 on professional signature gatherers and other campaign-related expenses. We believe millions more will be spent by interested parties during the campaign itself.

This “citizens” initiative is really just politics-as-usual charade. Who benefits? Not taxpayers. 

We ask that you do your homework, understand the facts and vote No on Measure B on June 2nd.

COALITION OF SENSIBLE TAXPAYERS
M.C. Willard, President

Rebuttal to argument against Measure B

Let’s be clear about who is behind the opposition. The argument against Measure B was submitted by a group calling itself the Marin “Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers.” Their message is the same one we always hear from the wealthy, well-funded interests that try to undermine public services and privatize the things working people depend on.

They ask, “Who benefits?”

The answer is easy: all of us.

A Yes vote on Measure B protects the SMART train service and pathway system that thousands of North Bay residents rely on every day — seniors getting to medical appointments, students traveling to school, and working people commuting to jobs. It also benefits everyone who drives on Highway 101 by reducing congestion and providing a reliable alternative to sitting in traffic.

SMART delivers over twenty thousand rides per week. It supports local businesses, connects communities across Sonoma and Marin, and protects our extensive public investment in the rail and pathway system. Our community built the train, and our community uses it.

Measure B does not create a new tax. It simply continues the existing local funding that voters already approved for SMART’s construction and operation. Without Measure B, service cuts and shutdowns will become necessary, causing commuters, seniors, students, and local economies across the North Bay to suffer.

The choice before voters is straightforward: Protect our public transportation, or let private interests dismantle it.

For our families, our environment, and our connected communities: Vote Yes on Measure B!

www.TheSMARTInitiative.org

SIERRA CLUB REDWOOD CHAPTER
Shirley Johnson, Chapter President

SONOMA COUNTY LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
Robyn Bramhall, Officer

MARK STAPP
Mayor of Santa Rosa

RACHEL FARAC
Mayor of Novato

MIKE MCGUIRE
State Senator