Released on October 28, 2025
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Announces Opposition to Santa Clara County Measure A
Today (28), the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association announced its strong opposition to Measure A, a more than half cent sales tax in Santa Clara County that would punish low and middle income residents of Santa Clara County.
According to Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association President Jon Coupal, “Not only are sales taxes highly regressive, hurting those who can least afford to pay, but this proposal is marked with dishonesty, deception, and potentially illegal campaign activity.”
Measure A, which Santa Clara voters will decide next week, is being packaged as a special tax for healthcare. In fact, the first page of the Yes on Measure A website states, “Measure A is a local, five-year ⅝-cent sales tax that generates $330 million annually to protect healthcare access in Santa Clara County.” But the fact is that Measure A seeks voter approval for a general tax, meaning it could be spent for any purpose, including pensions, travel, or administrative costs.
Coupal further stated that the County officials are hoping that voters will bail them out for their bad governance. Key to the County’s budgetary problems was the purchase of two hospitals that it could not afford. “Even local city officials have come out against Measure A with one local mayor stating that the County has never justified the numbers in seeking the tax hike.”
Worse yet, the County has been sued for allegedly using taxpayer funds in support of Measure A. Mailers have been sent throughout the county, paid for by the County itself, carrying messaging that aligns closely with Measure A’s central arguments.
For More Information:
Jon Coupal, President, HJTA; 916-444-9950, jon@hjta.org
Susan Shelley, VP, Communications; 213-384-9656; susan@hjta.org
About the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is a member-supported nonprofit organization that fights for the interests of taxpayers and to secure the constitutional taxpayer protections voters have adopted through the initiative process, beginning with Proposition 13 in 1978. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Foundation, a 501(c)(3), funds the organization’s legal and educational work. More information at hjta.org.