There’s an alphabet soup of measures on the ballot this November as school districts, firefighters, and the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors scrap for cash in these trying times. Below is a quick rundown on all of them, plus links to the measures as they’re written and impartial analyses from various government attorneys.

Firefighting taxes

Measure D

Kneeland Fire District wants to establish a new tax on landowners in the Kneeland Fire Protection District to fund their fire prevention and fighting efforts. They also want to funnel some of that money into a reserve fund. The tax is annual and flat-rate, ranging from $100 a year for vacant lots and $300 a year for commercial lots, for an annual total of roughly $58,000. Homeowners of single-family residential parcels will pay $180. Lots next to one another owned by the same entity will be charged a slightly reduced rate. Landowners who make what the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development calls “very low” or “poverty level” income can apply for an exemption. If approved by two-thirds of voters, the tax will be imposed July 1, 2025.

The Humboldt County Counsel impartial analysis says that this measure violates two Government Code Sections, as the measure doesn’t specify that the proceeds from these taxes have to be used only on fire services and it doesn’t establish a special account to deposit them into.

Look at the measure here. Read the impartial analysis here.

Measure E

Another special tax to fund firefighting efforts, this time in the Peninsula Community Service District. The total annual yield will be roughly $33,000. The tax ranges from $30 a year on unimproved property to $910 a year for improved industrial land and retail spaces. Homeowners of single-family residential parcels will pay $155 a year. If approved by two-thirds of voters, the tax will be collected from 2025 to 2031.

Read the measure here. Read the impartial analysis here.

Measure M

If passed, the Arcata Fire Protection District would be allowed to increase its appropriations limit for the next four years — the amount it could budget and spend every year. It needs a simple majority to pass.

Read it here. See the analysis here.

School bonds and taxes

Measure G

Voters will decide if they want to continue paying a parcel tax that benefits the Arcata School District. It’s an extension of a tax approved by voters in 2016, which expires at the end of June 2026. The district wants the money to maintain or expand art, music and dance programs, reduce class sizes, fund “social emotional supports and programming” for health, address maintenance issues, and support staffing. The tax is $69 a year per parcel, $10 more than the current rate. Senior citizens, people receiving Supplementary Social Security Income, and people receiving disability income who don’t make more than 250% of the federal poverty limit are exempt. It needs the approval of two-thirds of voters to pass.

The measure is here. Read the analysis here.

Measure I

Submitted by the Redwoods Community College District, this measure would allow the district to issue bonds up to $120 million, as well as collect a tax of up to $25 per $100,000 of assessed property value. According to the district, the last year it will have to collect that tax is 2059. The district wants the money to repair campus facilities, upgrade disability access, and replace obsolete technology, among many other things. It needs the support of 55% of total voters from Humboldt, Del Norte, and Trinity counties to pass.

The measure is here. The analysis is here.

Measure J

Another school bond measure, this one from the Ferndale School District proposes a maximum of $9.8 million in bonds issued to fund school repair and building construction, as well as their acquisition or lease. A property tax of up to $60 per $100,000 of assessed value will pay for the bonds. The district estimates it will raise $549,000 annually. By the time all of the bonds and interest is paid, the cost will total about $19.8 million. The measure requires the approval of 55% of voters for it to pass.

Read Measure J here. Read the analysis here.

Measure K

This school bond measure, this time from the Cutten School District, also for construction and maintenance. $5 million maximum in issued bonds, with a levy of up to $30 per $100,000 of assessed value on properties. The district says that it will raise $318,000 annually. It needs 55% of voters in the district to pass.

Read Measure K here. Read the analysis here.

Measure N

A bond measure benefiting McKinleyville School District. The maximum amount in bonds proposed is $18.5 million. Proceeds will build new classrooms, fix roofs, and construct a new stage at McKinleyville Middle School, as well as fund other projects. A maximum tax of $30 per $100,000 of assessed property value will be levied to pay for the bonds. The district estimates the bonds will generate $1 million per year. The total cost to the district, if all bonds are sold, will be about $37.1 million. 55% of voters need to support it to pass.

Read the measure here. Read an analysis here.

Sales taxes

Measure H

This measure will raise the sales tax in Arcata to 9.25% from 8.5%. All proceeds from this tax will go into the city’s general fund. According to the city council, it will help offset a budget deficit and maintain public spaces and facilities. Additional annual revenue from the increase will be about $2.6 million. It needs a simple majority to pass.

Read the measure here. Read the analysis here.

Measure L

Trinidad currently has a sales tax of 0.75%. If Measure L passes, that sales tax will live on for another four years, effective April 2025. The tax generates $175,000 per year to Trinidad’s coffers. Measure L only needs a simple majority of voters in favor to pass.

The measure is here. Read the analysis here.

Measure O

Proposed by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, this measure will add a 1% sales tax on all eligible purchases throughout the county. They estimate the increase will generate $24 million per year for Humboldt County. Although the language of the measure specifically mentions deteriorating roads and improving emergency response times, there’s no binding resolution in there to only use the money to fix the roads or improve anything. It’s a general tax that can be spent wherever. It needs a simple majority of Humboldt voters’ support to pass.

Read Measure O here. Read the analysis here.

Measure P

Measure P would raise the local sales tax in Fortuna to 1.5% from 0.75%. It needs a simple majority to go into law.

Read Measure P here. Read the analysis here.

Miscellaneous

Check out this Outpost article if you want to learn about the heavily contested Measure F