Yountville's only local measure on the Nov. 3 ballot is Measure Y. It doesn't ask voters for money. It asks for permission to spend money the town already collects, much of it from visitors.

What Measure Y does

Article 13B of the California Constitution, often called the Gann limit, caps how much tax revenue a city may appropriate each year. Measure Y would raise Yountville's limit by $3 million plus 25% of the prior fiscal year's transient occupancy tax (hotel tax) revenue. The increase would apply for four years, fiscal 2027-28 through 2030-31, according to Ballotpedia and the Napa Valley Register's measure guide.

The ballot question reads, in part: "To fully utilize TOT and sales tax generated from visitors for public services, parks and recreation, police, and fire emergency programs, shall the appropriations limit set by Article 13B of the California Constitution be increased..." It adds that "no existing tax is increased and no new taxes are created."

The Register notes this is spending authority for existing tax revenue, not a revenue forecast or approval of a specific project.

Who put it on the ballot, and what it takes to pass

The Town Council placed Measure Y on the ballot, and it needs a simple majority. The council's filed argument in favor says the higher limit would let visitor-generated revenue support services and facilities "rather than returning excess revenue to taxpayers," the Register reported. Ballotpedia lists no filed opposition.

What a yes or no vote means

  • Yes: approve the higher spending limit for the four-year period.
  • No: keep the existing limit for those years.

Measure Y doesn't change what you pay at the register. Countywide Measure B, a proposed half-cent sales tax for wildfire preparedness, watersheds and open space, is also on Yountville ballots. Yountville voters are also choosing a mayor and council members; see our guide to the Yountville races.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.