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Election 2013: Guide to Sunnyvale Measures A, B and C

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Sunnyvale residents will vote on Measure C, which would give the city among the strictest gun control laws in the country. (David McNew/Getty Images)
Sunnyvale residents will vote on Measure C, which would give the city some of the strictest gun control laws in the country. (David McNew/Getty Images)

MEASURE A – ODD TO EVEN YEAR ELECTIONS
Sunnyvale is the only municipality in Santa Clara that holds off-year elections. But it may not be that way much longer if they pass Measure A.

How the ballot reads: To help reduce the City’s elections costs through consolidation with County and State elections, shall the Sunnyvale City Charter be amended to change the City’s general municipal elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years, with the next general municipal election scheduled for 2016, and to provide a one time, one year extension to council member terms, and create a temporary one year mayoral term to enable the transition to even-numbered year elections? 

In a nutshell: Do you want to move off-year elections so that they coincide with even-year elections? This would give several current elected officials an additional year in office.

Arguments for:

Arguments against:

Sponsored

None found. If you find one please let us know at ohubertallen@kqed.org.

 

MEASURE B – HOTEL TAX
How the ballot reads: Shall the Sunnyvale Municipal Code be amended to increase the transient occupancy tax rate (commonly called "hotel tax") charged to persons who occupy hotel or motel rooms in the City for 30 days or less from 9.5% to 10.5% in order to help maintain the City’s ability to fund basic services such as public safety and streets, trees, and sidewalk maintenance, and to keep parity with neighboring cities’ hotel tax rates, effective January 1, 2014? 

In a nutshell: Should Sunnyvale increase the hotel tax by 1 percent?

Arguments for:

Arguments against:

 

MEASURE C - GUN REGULATIONS
This is by far the most talked-about ballot measure Sunnyvale voters will see this year. The city council voted to put the measure before voters after 1,000 residents signed a petition urging stricter gun control.  The NRA has vowed to sue if the gun measure passes.

How the ballot reads: Shall the City of Sunnyvale adopt a gun safety ordinance to require: 1) reporting to police, within 48 hours, known loss or theft of a firearm; 2) storing firearms in residences in a locked container or disabling them with a trigger lock when not in the owner's immediate possession; 3) prohibiting the possession of ammunition magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds, with certain exceptions; and 4) logging and tracking of ammunition sales within the City of Sunnyvale?

In a nutshell: The measure would require gun owners to:
1)   Report gun theft to police within 48 hours;
2)   Lock up or disable firearms when not in gun owner’s possession.
It would also make it so that in Sunnyvale:
3)   You can’t possess magazines with more than 10 rounds;
4)   All ammunitions sales are tracked.

Arguments for: 

Arguments against: 

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