Berkeley poised to pass $300M infrastructure bond and half-cent sales tax hike

The joint campaign to pass a $300 million bond to shore up Berkeley’s infrastructure and a sales tax increase to fund city services declared victory Tuesday, as election results continued to show those measures running ahead of the margins they must clear to pass. BERKELEY ELECTION 2026 Live election results : See results for city races and measures, state propositions and more. All of our coverage : Meet the candidates and learn about local ballot measures and how to vote. City leaders who backed the bond, Measure U, said it would allow Berkeley to make meaningful improvements to fire stations , parks and a range of other public facilities. And they warned that without the 0.5% sales tax increase, Measure V, Berkeley would have to further cut city services to balance its budget. The latest round of election results , posted late Monday, showed 71.6% of voters were in favor of Measure U, which needed support from two-thirds of voters — a threshold that was the undoing of Berkeley’s last attempt to pass a big infrastructure bond four years ago. Measure V, which only needed to win a simple majority, received yes votes from 53%. “Although ballots are still being tallied countywide, it is clear that Berkeley voters have approved measures U and V,” campaign manager Rebecca Mirvish wrote in a statement Tuesday. “With your support, Berkeley will ensure that fire stations remain open, basic services are funded, and the impacts of climate change are addressed.” Voters faced with seven Berkeley measures on their ballots this year approved six of them. The exception was Measure Z, a parcel tax to fund a public bank , which conceded defeat late last week as returns continued to show it falling short of passage. While the campaign positioned the measure as a way to bypass large banks and invest money locally, the measure faced criticism in part because it proposed taxing only Berkeley property owners for a bank that would serve the broader East Bay. As of Monday, returns showed 45% of voters supporting the measure. In a statement provided by spokesperson Sean Dugar late Friday, the campaign to pass Measure Z wrote, “While the results aren’t what we had hoped, we remain committed and look forward to continuing to work with the Council, community leaders, and the growing coalition to make a public bank for the East Bay a reality.” Elsewhere on the ballot, nearly 70% of voters backed Measure Y, a parcel tax to fund arts groups that have struggled since the pandemic. “The voters of Berkeley have spoken clearly: Arts and culture are a critical part of what makes Berkeley a special place to live,” the campaign wrote in an Instagram post last week. “Together, because of what you did to help win this election, we WILL preserve Berkeley’s nonprofit performing arts theater, music, dance, and visual arts venues for our children, adults, and seniors — to maintain Berkeley as an arts and cultural destination for generations to come.” The effort to pass Measure AA, which doubled Berkeley’s soda tax, declared victory shortly after polls closed last week with more than three-quarters of voters in favor. Meanwhile measures W and X, which made minor changes to election procedures and tenant regulations, both passed by wide margins. Election officials said 9,844 ballots throughout Alameda County remained uncounted after Monday’s update, which represents less than 2% of all votes. Their next planned update will come on Friday. Related stories Election results in Berkeley and Alameda County November 9, 2026 Nov. 9, 2026, 7:02 p.m. Berkeley arts tax heads toward passage while public bank measure looks likely to fail November 3, 2026 Nov. 4, 2026, 3:19 p.m. Wrubel widens lead in District 1, ‘right to housing’ slate nears Rent Board sweep November 9, 2026 Nov. 9, 2026, 7:00 p.m. Berkeley election 2026 resources The deadline to preregister to vote online or by mail in Alameda County is Oct. 19 (though you can register the day you vote if you miss that deadline). The election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. We put together a guide to the essentials of how to register and vote, what’s on the ballot and more . Here are some other helpful election resources: The city of Berkeley’s election portal . Don’t know your Berkeley City Council district? The city website has a handy tool for that . Vote 411 : View a personalized ballot by entering your address. Voter guides from CalMatters , the LA Times and the California Secretary of State . Check your voter registration status (and sign up to get election materials online). Find your voter profile (Alameda County registrar of voters). See complete 2026 election coverage on Berkeleyside . " * " indicates required fields Send a note to the editors. * Have a comment on this story? See an error that needs correcting? Have a tip, question or suggestion? Drop us a line. Email * Name Phone Would you like to be anonymous? No Yes If you reply "no," we may publish your comment in a story or newsletter under your name. Embed URL Submit Δ