WILLIAMS, CA (MPG) – Once again, voters in the City of Williams have rejected a ballot measure that would have provided funding for the city to repair residential streets.
While 54.5% (1,178) of the city’s 2,160 registered voters cast a ballot in the 2024 Presidential Election, only 46.64% (962) had an opinion on Measure W one way or the other.
According to non-certified election results, those in favor of a half-cent sales tax increase were equal to those who opposed it, which is not sufficient for a special tax to pass.
Of the 962 voters who answered the ballot question on a half-cent sales tax increase, 489 (50.5%) voted in favor of Measure W to 473 (48.8%) against, which is not enough for the supermajority approval (66.6%) necessary to pass.
Had voters approved the measure, the city would receive about $1 million in additional revenue annually, of which $800,000 would be dedicated to road repair, officials said.
“There is no mystery that the roads in Williams need significant investment and improvement,” City Administrator Frank Kennedy said. “City Council has tried three consecutive times to pass a one-half cent sales tax measure to no avail. Measure W was written as a Special Tax that needed a two-thirds majority to pass, it fell far short of that.”
The Williams City Council held multiple meetings and workshops to inform voters about Measure W, but more voters cast ballots for uncontested Williams races than for a measure that would have life-changing impacts for residents.
Officials said Measure W had safeguards built in to ensure the funding went directly to Roads (80%), Parks (10%), and the Fire Authority (10%). The Williams City Council also committed to having a Citizens Advisory Committee to help decide how the road and park money would be spent.
“All this was added to create a higher level of transparency,” Kennedy said.
Officials said of the $1 million in additional annual revenue, the city would collect about $750,000 from travelers along Interstate-5, who stop for food and gas. The sales tax increase would not have applied to groceries or prescriptions.
“Unfortunately, with Measure W not passing, it will be extremely difficult for the city to perform any residential street repairs other than simple pothole filling,” Kennedy said. “The E Street project will continue, but the citizens should not expect any other significant road repairs for at least the next couple of years. Likewise, it will be difficult to add playground equipment or other features to our parks.”
Williams voters reelected Mayor Don Parsons to a second term and former Mayor John Troughton Jr., who will return to the City Council to replace Roberto Mendoza, who did not seek reelection. Both ran unopposed for the seats.
Voters reelected Williams City Clerk Mariana Pineda, who also ran without challenge.
The Colusa County Board of Supervisors must certify the election results by Dec. 3.
Colusa County Clerk-Recorder Cristy Edwards said the county had an unprecedented number (168) of provisional ballots, which require a time-consuming validation process.
Election day voter registration in California is the reason the state is among the last in the nation to have timely election results and it places a burden on small counties, Edwards said.