Measure N Funding

The City of San Ramon is committed to providing the essential services and facilities that help maintain a high quality of life. The City's goal is to provide the services that our community values, while also being fiscally responsible.

In San Ramon, rising costs continue to outpace year-over-year revenue projections. To adopt a balanced 2024–25 Budget, the City Council navigated a $17.6 million shortfall in revenue.

Click here to learn more about the 2024–25 Budget process, which included $8.1 million in cuts across City departments.

The City Council voted unanimously in July 2024 to place a measure on the November 2024 ballot (Measure N), which proposed a 1% local sales tax in San Ramon.

Measure N passed with 56.21% of the vote (21,035 votes in favor, out of 37,421 total votes). Click here to view the certified election results.

What is Measure N?

Measure N was a local ballot measure that appeared on the on the November 2024 General Election ballot, proposing a 1% local sales tax in San Ramon for 10 years to support City services.

What is the status of Measure N?

Measure N passed with 56.21% of the vote (21,035 votes in favor out of 37,421 total votes). The amount of votes required to pass was 50% +1.

The election was certified by the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder on December 5, 2024. Click here to view the official election results.

When will Measure N go into effect?

A 1% Transactions and Use Tax (TUT, more commonly known as a "sales tax") is expected to be added to purchases in San Ramon on April 1, 2025.

What purchases will Measure N apply to?

A local sales tax applies to the same goods and services (tangible personal property) as a California state sales tax. Examples include furniture, cars, giftware, toys, antiques, clothing and gasoline.

Items that are exempt from sales tax include sales of certain food products for human consumption (groceries), sales to the U.S. government, sales of prescription medicine and certain medical devices, sales of items paid for with food stamps, rent, mortgage payments, and utilities.

Who pays the City’s current sales tax, and who will pay the additional 1% from Measure N?

Everyone who purchases any items (other than those exempted) in San Ramon will pay the tax, including visitors. Approximately 30% of sales tax revenue generated annually in San Ramon comes from non-residents.

How much revenue will Measure N generate?

The City’s sales tax consultant, HdL, estimated in 2023 that a 1% sales tax would generate approximately $15.7 million a year to support City services. Updated analysis from November 2024 estimates that a 1% sales tax would generate closer to $15.24 million a year, due to recent economic trends such as a decrease in purchasing.

What will funds from Measure N be used for?

Measure N funding will go toward delivering those essential city services that residents identified in multiple surveys in 2023 and 2024.

In January 2025, the City Council will begin deliberating how to revise its current Fiscal Year 2024–25 budget, including program areas where funding was reduced to balance the budget. Some reductions to be reviewed would include library hours, public safety staffing, and community events programming.

When will Measure N begin to impact the City’s budget?

The City Council's policy is to conservatively forecast revenues and overstate expenditures. Given this approach, the City estimates ongoing revenues to begin influencing expenses in the Fiscal Year 2025–26 budget. The Council will begin considering their options in April 2025, adopting the budget by June 2025. 

The City will be holding budget workshops and public hearings in 2025 to develop the 2025–26 Budget. Residents are encouraged to attend these meetings and provide input on the budget via Public Comment, or email comments to cityclerk@sanramon.ca.gov.

To receive email notifications when public meetings are scheduled, residents can sign up for updates on Measure N and Official Meetings & Notices. 

How can I receive updates on how Measure N funds are being spent?

The City will provide quarterly email updates to residents on how funds from Measure N are being used. Click here to sign up for these email updates.

The quarterly updates will also be posted on the City website at sanramon.ca.gov/funding.

Who can I contact with other questions about Measure N?

Please email communications@sanramon.ca.gov with additional questions.