The Nov. 5 election is on. Ballots were mailed Oct. 7 to all registered voters in Plumas County.
Measure D
The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office and emergency services will be on the ballot once again with Measure D. It proposes a special three-quarter-cent sales tax on tangible retail goods to supplement funds for public safety. A similar ballot issue, Measure A, failed to get the required two-thirds vote needed to pass in the March primary.
The Plumas County Board of Supervisors approved and passed Resolution No. 24-8937 Aug. 6 in a split vote. Supervisors Jeff Engel, Kevin Goss, Greg Hagwood and Tom McGowan voted yes, with Supervisor Dwight Ceresola voting no.
Measure D asks voters, “Shall a measure authorizing the County of Plumas to impose a special transaction and use tax in the total amount of three-fourth percent (3/4%) to be used solely for purpose of providing the citizens in Plumas County Public Safety Services through the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office be approved?”
Plumas County Sheriff Todd Johns said he heard from voters following the March primary: “Although Measure A failed by a small amount, we listened to the concerns the citizens had with the measure and addressed them in Measure D.” Those concerns focused on the need for revenue to fund infrastructure and fire departments as well the sheriff’s office. The revisions also explain the citizen oversight committee in detail, Johns said.
If passed, the tax would be administered by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. The ordinance is applicable in both unincorporated and incorporated areas of Plumas County.
Funds raised by Measure D are designed to be used to provide public safety services countywide. They do not supplant any other revenues in the sheriff’s department.
All net revenues and interest accrued will be placed in a special account separate from the general fund. A citizen oversight committee, called the Tax Sale Oversight Board, will have five members, one from each supervisorial district. The members cannot be county employees. A committee appointing the oversight board will be composed of the sheriff, the supervisor of that district and a volunteer fire chief from the district. The oversight board will be appointed within 60 days of the approved ordinance.
The safety services funded by Measure D would include obtaining, furnishing, operating and/or maintaining public safety protection equipment or apparatus. The sales tax would also pay salaries and benefits of sheriff’s personnel and other protection service expenses.
Twenty percent of the net revenue will be set aside for critical infrastructure such as communication technology, fire services, public safety capital improvement projects, equipment and services.
Four times a year county residents would be invited to submit proposals to the Tax Sale Oversight Board, which would review them and award funds based on the greatest need. The tax sale board would also submit an annual report to the board of supervisors and the public to ensure transparency. If Measure D passes, sales tax collection would take place immediately. The measure would be reviewed at five-year intervals beginning Jan. 31, 2025, and would continue unless appealed by a majority of Plumas County voters. The sales tax is estimated to cost consumers $0.75 on every $100 spent.
Supervisor Jeff Engel encouraged all voters to support Measure D. “Measure D has been modified to provide much-needed equipment to not only the sheriff’s department but also fire departments and first responders. The revenue generated will have a five-person oversight committee to ensure the funds are used for the best interest of the people of Plumas County. No money will be put in the county general fund. Public safety, fire departments and first responders are my first priority. Thank you for voting for Measure D and making this happen,” Engel said.
Local elections
The only local race on the ballot is for two seats on the Eastern Plumas Health Care District board of directors. Residents in that special district will vote on two out of three candidates. The candidates running are Leora Sapir, a nurse practitioner, Linda Satchwell, incumbent, and Paul Swanson, incumbent.
Special districts with vacancies fall under the appointments to vacancies section of Government Code 1780. The code states that the district must notify the county election office of the vacant seat within 15 days of the vacancy. The remaining members of the district shall make an appointment or call an election. The district shall notify the county election official of the appointment no later than 15 days after the appointment.
If the vacancy is not filled by appointment or election by the district board within 60 days, the county board of supervisors may appoint a person to fill the vacancy. The Portola city council or board of supervisors may also order the district to call an election to fill it.
Voting
You are eligible to vote if you are a U.S. citizen living in California, at least 18 years old, registered where you currently live, not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony and not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.
It’s not too late to register. The deadline is Oct. 21. To register to vote, fill out a registration form available at the Plumas County Elections Office at 520 Main St., Room 102 or register online.
Federal election
President of the United States
Democratic Party: Kamala Harris/Tim Walz
Republican Party: Donald Trump/JD Vance
American Independent Party: Robert Kennedy Jr./Nicole Shanhan
Green Party: Jill Stein/Rudolph Ware
Libertarian Party: Chase Oliver/Mike ter Maat
Peace and Freedom Party: Claudia Delacruz/Karina Garcia
United States senator, full term
Democratic Party: Adam Schiff, U.S. representative
Republican Party: Steve Garvey, professional baseball player
United States senator, partial/unexpired term
Democratic Party: Adam Schiff, U.S. representative
Republican Party: Steve Garvey, professional baseball player
Representatives to Congress of the United States, District 3
Democratic Party: Jessica Morse, wildfire prevention official
Republican Party: Kevin Kiley, incumbent U.S. representative
California state election
State senator, District 1
Republican Party: Megan Dahle, farmer/businesswoman/mother
Republican Party: David Fennell, entrepreneur
Assemblymember, District 1
Republican Party: Tenessa Audette, businesswoman/Redding mayor
Republican Party: Heather Hadwick, farmer/emergency manager
California propositions
Prop. 2: Bonds for Public School and Community College Facilities. Prop. 2 would authorize $8.5 billion in state bonds for construction and moderation of K-12 schools and $1.5 billion for community colleges.
Prop. 3: Guarantees Marriage Equality. Prop. 3 would preserve marriage equality by adding this language to the California Constitution.
Prop. 4: Bonds for Safe Drinking Water, Wildlife Prevention, and Climate Programs. Prop. 4 would allow the state to borrow $10 billion for climate and environmental projects.
Prop. 5: Decreases Vote Requirements for Local Housing and Infrastructure Bonds. Prop. 5 would reduce the voting margin from 66.7% to 55% to approve local bonds and taxes for affordable housing, parks, transportation and other public infrastructure. This is a constitutional amendment.
Prop. 6: Ends Forced Labor of People in Jails and Prisons. Prop. 6 would end involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime in the state constitution.
Prop. 32: Raises the Minimum Wage. Prop. 32 would raise the minimum wage for employers that employ 26 or more people to $18 an hour in 2025 and 2026. For businesses that employ 25 people or fewer, the minimum wage would be $17 an hour in 2025 and $18 per hour in 2026.
Prop. 33: Local Governments and Rent Control. Prop. 33 would establish rent control policies to help solve California’s housing crisis.
Prop. 34: Restricts Spending of Profits from Selling Prescription Drugs. Prop. 34 would establish new rules on how certain health care entities spend revenue from the federal drug discount program.
Prop. 35: Permanent Tax to Support Medi-Cal. Prop. 35 would make the existing health plan tax permanent starting in 2027.
Prop. 36: Increase Penalties for Theft and Drug Crimes. Prop. 36 would increase punishment for some theft and drug crimes, create new court treatment process for some drug possession crimes, and require courts to warn people if they sell or provide illegal drugs they can be charged with murder if the person they sold or provided illegal drugs dies.
