Measure P: Measure P – City of Fairfield – Extending Sales Tax
City of Fairfield · Solano County · November 3, 2026
The question on your ballot
“To provide and protect funding for Fairfield’s services, such as police, fire, 911 emergency response, neighborhood safety, street and sidewalk repair, homelessness prevention and response, and general governmental use, shall an ordinance be adopted to extend the City’s sales tax and increase the rate by up to one-cent per dollar until ended by voters, adding approximately $24 million annually, with independent citizen oversight, annual audits, public spending reports, and all funds locally controlled?”
In plain language
Measure P would extend the City of Fairfield's sales tax. It would also raise the rate by up to one cent per dollar. A YES vote continues and increases the tax. This would fund police, fire, and 911 emergency response. It would also pay for neighborhood safety, street and sidewalk repair, and homelessness prevention, plus general government use. A NO vote lets the current tax arrangement end instead. The tax would stay in place until voters end it. It comes with citizen oversight, annual audits, and public spending reports.
Fiscal impact
The tax is expected to add about $24 million a year.
Impartial analysis
CITY ATTORNEY’S IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF MEASURE P If approved by the voters, Measure P would adopt a local Transactions and Use Tax O rdinance (the “Sales Tax Ordinance”). Measure P would increase the City’s existing sales tax rate by 1%, or 1 cent, on every dollar of taxable sales of goods in the City, and on the taxable storage, use or consumption in the City of goods purchased. Measure P would also extend the City’s existing 1% transactions and use tax until ended by the voters. The Measure would be a general tax , which means the tax revenue could be spent for all general governmental purposes. The City estimated that this Measure will raise approximately $24 million per year in new local revenue for use in the City. The City Council’s adopted ballot question states this new revenue would be used for general City services including police, fire, 911 emergency response, neighborhood safety, street and sidewalk repair, and homelessness prevention and response. The Sales Tax Ordinance would be in effect until ended by the voters. Measure P was placed on the ballot by a unanimous vote of the City Council. The revenue generated by the Measure will be collected by the State of California under a contract with the City, and the revenue will be paid over to the City. Accountability over r evenue and expenditures from the Sales Tax Ordinance will be provided through the City’s budget process and annual independent audit, which are available to the public . Financial information also is disclosed in the City’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and other public documents. The total sales tax rate paid in Fairfield, whi ch i ncludes the sales tax collected for the State of California, Solano County, and other public agencies, is currently 8.375%. If the Measure is approved by the voters, the total sales tax rate paid in the City w ould be 9.375%, subject to any changes in state law. Sales tax is not collected on items such as prescription medications or food bought as groceries. Article XIIIC of the California Constitution, commonly known as Proposition 218, requires that the proposed general tax be approved by a majority of the voters voting on the Measure. A “yes” vote on Measure P is to adopt the Sales Tax Ordinance. A “no” vote on Measure P is to not adopt the Sales Tax Ordinance. David G. Lim Fairfield City Attorney The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure P. If you desire a complete copy of the Sales Tax Ordinance, please call the City Clerk at [phone number omitted] and a copy will be sent to you at no cost.
Official ballot arguments
Filed for the official voter guide by each side, printed as submitted.
Argument in favor
Argument in Favor of Measure P Measure P . Protecting What Works. Vote YES on Measure P to protect Fairfield’s essential services, including: • Maintaining police patrols and crime prevention • Protecting fire, paramedic, and 911 emergency response • Repairing streets, roads, and potholes • Keeping parks, youth, and senior programs available • Addressing homelessness and keeping public spaces safe and clean • Maintaining fiscal stability and local control For more than a decade, Measure P has provided locally controlled funding that stays in Fairfield and cannot be taken by the State. Measure P helped protect neighborhood police patrols, maintain fire and emergency medical response, and repair local streets and roads. But the cost of providing essential city services has increased dramatically. Public safety costs more. Street repairs cost more. Emergency response, equipment, fuel, insurance, and basic city operations all cost more. Without renewing and updating Measure P , Fairfield will face difficult choices that could affect the services residents rely on every day. Measure P includes strict accountability requirements, including: • Annual Audits • Public Disclosure • Independent Citizen Oversight to ensure funds are spent as promised. Every dollar must be used for Fairfield services and Fairfield priorities. Funds cannot be touched by the State. Measure P is not a tax on your home or property. It helps maintain essential services through a local funding source shared by residents, visitors, and others who shop in Fairfield and use city services. Fairfield residents deserve safe neighborhoods, reliable emergency response, well- maintained streets, and a city that can plan responsibly for the future. Please join public safety leaders, senior citizens, local businesses, and neighborhood leaders in voting YES on Measure P . Sincerely, s/M. Dae Spering G.M. Down Town Theater s/Sean Quin Retired City Manger
Argument against
ARGUMENT AGAINST MEASURE P Measure P raises Fairfield’s sales tax by up to one cent per dollar “until ended by voters.” The City promises funding for police, fire, and streets, but the money goes into the general fund with no spending guarantees. A higher sales tax increases the cost of everyday necessities. Families pay more for basic items, making daily life more expensive at a time when inflation is already high. Fairfield already collects a local sales tax that was supposed to stabilize essential services. Instead of managing existing revenues responsibly, the City now seeks to raise the rate again, indefinitely. Measure P removes the previous sunset clause, meaning this tax could continue forever unless voters later repeal it. Ending this tax would require a new ballot initiative and thousands of signatures collected, a process so difficult that few communities ever succeed. Once enacted, it becomes a permanent tax with no expiration date. The measure’s language is broad and unrestricted. Funds go into the City’s general fund, where they can be spent on any purpose the City Council chooses. There is no requirement that the money be used for police, fire, or street repair. Promises of “independent citizen oversight” and “annual audits” sound reassuring, but those mechanisms already exist and have not prevented questionable spending decisions in the past. Fairfield’s projected $24 million in new annual revenue is significant. Before asking residents to pay higher prices on every purchase, the City should demonstrate how previous tax dollars were used and what efficiencies have been achieved. Measure P offers no plan for fiscal reform, no spending priorities, and no end date. Fairfield families and businesses deserve transparency, accountability, and responsible budgeting, not another permanent tax disguised as a temporary fix. Vote NO on Measure P. Solano County Taxpayers Association s/Michael Nolan, President
What supporters and opponents say — outside sources (not official ballot arguments)
Statements by campaigns, officials and news coverage, quoted with attribution and linked to the original. VoterDecoder did not write them and does not endorse either side.
Supporters say
No public statements in favor were found.
Opponents say
No public statements against were found.