Solano County Measure H Would Raise the Rural Hotel Tax From 5% to 12%, for About $58,500 a Year

Solano County voters decide Measure H on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. It would raise the transient occupancy (hotel) tax in unincorporated parts of the county, outside any city, from 5% to 12% of the rent charged, starting Jan. 1, 2027. The county estimates about $58,500 in extra revenue a year. It needs a simple majority.

Why it matters: Overnight guests at rural lodging would pay a rate more than twice today's, while the money raised is small next to the county budget, a point both sides make in different ways.

Who pays

The tax applies to stays of 30 days or less at hotels, motels, inns, vacation rentals, campgrounds, RV parks and other lodging in unincorporated Solano County, according to County Counsel Carrie Blacklock's impartial analysis. Guests pay it; the operator, or in some cases an online booking service, collects and sends it to the county. Lodging inside Fairfield, Vacaville, Vallejo and the county's other cities is not affected.

It is a general tax: the money goes into the county general fund for any lawful purpose set in the annual budget. The measure also updates definitions, spells out how online booking services are covered and clarifies which lodging and charges are taxed. The rate stays until voters, or the Board of Supervisors, repeal or amend it. A no vote keeps the tax at 5%.

Supporters

Supervisors Cassandra R. James and Mitch Mashburn signed the argument in favor. They say the county's rate is "significantly lower" than many neighboring counties and cities, that 12% brings it "more in line with our regional peers," and that the money would help pay for public safety and health and welfare programs and "cannot be taken away by the State or Federal governments."

Opponents

The Solano County Taxpayers Association, with President Michael T. Nolan and Dixon resident Shari Borkin, signed the argument against. They call the seven-point jump "a 140% tax increase," say there is "no guarantee" the money improves police, fire or roads, and argue that $58,500 a year will not meaningfully change services but will make rural lodging "less competitive."

More on the Solano ballot

Countywide voters also decide Measure E, a business license tax on data centers and energy facilities. City and school measures include the Fairfield, Vacaville and Rio Vista sales tax measures and Dixon Unified's Measure U bond. Everything we have covered is in the Election 2026 guide.