Campaign spends $1.7 million to oppose Santa Cruz 'soda tax'

SANTA CRUZ — Campaign finance disclosure forms were recently submitted for the campaigns both in favor and opposing the city of Santa Cruz ballot initiative known as Measure Z, or the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax, which will be voted on Nov. 5.

The due date for campaigns to submit the second round of pre‐election campaign statements for the disclosure period, starting Sept. 22 and ending Oct. 19, was Thursday. The forms show the opposition campaign — called Campaign for an Affordable Santa Cruz — has outspent the campaign supporting the initiative — called Yes on Measure Z for a Safe and Healthy Santa Cruz — by about $1.66 million total for the calendar year to date.

In the second disclosure period spanning Sept. 22 to Oct. 19, the opposition to Measure Z spent about $922,800 and the campaign supporting the ballot initiative spent about $9,300.

Measure Z was placed on the November ballot by the Santa Cruz City Council at its June 25 meeting. If passed with a simple majority vote by city residents, the general excise tax of 2 cents per fluid ounce would be paid by distributors of sugar-sweetened beverages in the city. The tax is estimated to generate about $1.3 million annually for the city’s general fund and would include a small business exemption for those with less than $500,000 in gross annual revenues.



https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/campaign-spends-1-7-million-to-oppose-santa-cruz-soda-tax/ar-AA1sWH7b