CITY OF SAUSALITO
MEASURE L
MEASURE L: City of Sausalito Hotel Tax/Tourism Mitigation Measure.
To address the effects of tourism by improving traffic
enforcement for pedestrian, cyclist and driver safety;
managing the number of bikes, buses, taxis; reinvesting in
local businesses; and other essential city services, shall an
ordinance raising the transient occupancy tax rate charged
to hotel guests by 2% be adopted until ended by voters,
providing additional $300,000 annually, with independent
audits, all funds used locally in Sausalito?
YES NO
CITY ATTORNEY’S IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF MEASURE L
Measure L would increase the City of Sausalito’s
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) from 12% to 14%. TOT
is often called a hotel tax and is paid by visitors who occupy
a hotel, motel, inn or other form of transient lodging in the
City on a short-term basis of 30 days or less. Measure L
must be approved by a majority of the votes cast on the
ballot proposition.
TOT payments are collected from the visitors by the
property “operators” who then remit the amounts to the
City.
TOT is a general tax; the revenue raised from the tax
goes into the City’s general fund and may be used for
any legal governmental purpose. The general fund pays
for City services such as police protection, congestion
management, street maintenance, parks and recreation
services, and general municipal services to the public.
An increase in the TOT from 12% to 14% is estimated to
generate an additional $300,000 in tax revenue per year.
If this measure does not pass, the TOT will continue to be
collected at its current rate of 12%.
Ordinance 1265 was approved for placement on the
ballot as Measure L by the City Council of the City of
Sausalito on July 31, 2018. If adopted, Measure L will
continue in effect until repealed by the City Council or City
voters.
A YES vote approves the measure.
A NO vote rejects the measure.
s/MARY ANNE WAGNER
City Attorney of Sausalito
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF MEASURE L
Protect Sausalito’s local quality of life–vote YES on L.
Everyone knows Sausalito residents enjoy an amazing
quality of life with strong property values. Tourism is
essential to our local economy and long-term sustainability!
But at the same time, the number of bikes, buses and taxis
creating downtown traffic congestion must be addressed
for our local quality of life. Vote YES on L – keep Sausalito
a special place to live!
Measure L is paid by out-of-town visitors and tourists
when they stay in a Sausalito hotel or lodging. Measure L
is NOT otherwise paid by Sausalito residents or property
owners.
YES on L simply ensures out-of-town visitors to
Sausalito continue to pay their fair share for public safety
and other services by updating Sausalito’s hotel room
(bed) tax rate. The revenue generated by YES on L will
help address downtown traffic congestion while generating
money to re-invest in Sausalito’s valued local businesses.
Your YES on L vote invests in maintaining our
core community services, such as rapid 911 emergency
response and the excellent public safety services you
expect and deserve. It ensures out-of-town visitors to
Sausalito contribute towards maintaining our family-friendly
community – helping to keep park bathrooms
clean, playgrounds safe, and streets maintained.
All funds generated by YES on L are subject to
independent, annual audits. Best of all, Sacramento
politicians can’t take a dime. Measure L is accountable to
you, the Sausalito taxpayer.
Again, here’s what Measure L WON’T do:
- - Measure L is NOT a tax on your home or property.
- - Sausalito residents who are NOT hotel guests
WON’T be taxed.
Join residents, hoteliers, the business community, and
civic leaders in voting YES on L.
For factual information, visit www.sausalito.gov
s/KEITH KENNEDY
s/KATE STOHR
s/ANN ARNOTT
s/YOSHI TOME
Co-Chair, Hospitality Development Committee
s/LEON HUNTTING
Former Sausalito City Council
ARGUMENT AGAINST MEASURE L
No argument against Measure L was filed.
FULL TEXT OF MEASURE L
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAUSALITO AMENDING SECTION 3.12.030 OF THE SAUSALITO MUNICIPAL CODE TO INCREASE THE TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX (HOTEL TAX) BY 2%
Now, therefore, the people of the City of Sausalito do ordain as follows:
SECTION 1. Amendments. Section 3.12.030 is here by amended to read as follows, with deletions in strikethrough and additions in underlined text:
“There shall be paid for every occupancy of a guest room in a hotel in the City a tax at the rate of 12 14 percent of the amount of rent unless an exception is provided under SMC 3.12.040
SECTION 2. Severability. If any section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance, or its application to any person or circumstance, is for any reason held to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses or phrases of this Ordinance, or its application to any other person or circumstance. The City Council of the City of Sausalito hereby declares that it would have adopted each section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase hereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses or phrases hereof is declared invalid or unenforceable.
SECTION 3. Publication and Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately after approval of the ballot measure related hereto.