Receive Real Property Transfer Tax
Polling Results
Tim Kirby, Director of Finance
Dennis Jaw, Assistant Director of Finance
2City of Sunnyvale – Receive Real Property Transfer Tax Polling Results– April 2024 Background
January 23,
2024
November 28,
2023
April 22,
2024
(today)
No later than
July 30,
2024
• Council Directed
Staff to present
information and
options for a
November 2024
RPTT ballot
measure
• Council provided
direction on
measure
provisions and
appropriated
funding for polling
consultant.
• Council receives
polling results
• Council takes
action to place
measure on
November 2024
ballot.
3City of Sunnyvale – Receive Real Property Transfer Tax Polling Results - April 2024 Potential Ballot Measure Timeline
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Deadline for
Ballot -
August 9
Public Education
Election –
November 5
Potential
Election Call
Ballots
Mailed to
Voters
4City of Sunnyvale – Receive Real Property Transfer Tax Polling Results - April 2024 January 23, 2024 Council Direction
• Poll on the viability of:
• RPTT at the rate of .75%, only on sales exceeding
$3,999,999.99
• Adjustment to the $3,999,999.99 exemption threshold to account for inflation
• Annually or every 5 years
• Possible exemptions for Single Family/Duplex Residential Properties
• Possible tax expiration of 30 years (vs. “until ended by voters”)
Sunnyvale RPTT
Ballot Measure Feasibility
220-7135
Key Findings of a Survey of Sunnyvale Voters
Conducted March 17-21, 2024
6 Dates March 17-21, 2024
Survey Type Dual-mode Voter Survey
Research Population Likely November 2024 in the City of Sunnyvale Total Interviews 444
Margin of Sampling Error (Full Sample) ±4.9% at the 95% Confidence Level (Half Sample) ±6.9% at the 95% Confidence Level
Contact Methods
Data Collection Modes
Survey Tracking 2016, 2018 and 2022 Surveys
(Note: Not All Results Will Sum to 100% Due to Rounding) Survey Methodology
Text
Invitations
Telephone
Calls
Email
Invitations
Telephone
Interviews
Online
Interviews
7 Electoral Context
8 Q1.
48%
50%
47%
11%
17%
17%
41%
33%
35%
2024
2022
2018
Right Direction Wrong Track Mixed/Don't Know
About half of voters have consistently said
they feel good about Sunnyvale’s future.
Would you say that things in the City of Sunnyvale are generally headed in the right direction, or do you feel that things are off on the wrong track? 9 Q2.
13%
16%
18%
15%
15%
16%
43%
48%
46%
39%
42%
42%
26%
16%
18%
29%
21%
23%
13%
15%
8%
12%
15%
9%
5%
5%
10%
5%
7%
11%
2024
2022
2018
2024
2022
2018
Strng. Appr. Smwt. Appr. Don't Know Smwt. Disappr. Strng. Disappr.
I am now going to read you a brief list of public officials and agencies.
Please tell me whether you approve or disapprove of the job each is doing.
Sunnyvale City
Government overall
Sunnyvale Mayor
and City Council
Majorities approve of the job being done by city
government, as well as the Mayor and City Council.
Total
Appr.
Total
Disappr.
56% 18%
64% 20%
64% 18%
54% 17%
57% 22%
57% 20%
10 Q6.
57%
48%
25%
20%
18%
25%
26%
26%
20%
19%
13%
19%
28%
29%
34%
5%
6%
19%
30%
28%
The cost of housing
Inflation and the cost of living
Too many homeless residents
Potholes and deteriorating
streets and roads
Traffic and congestion on
local streets and roads
Ext. Ser. Prob. Very Ser. Prob. Smwt. Ser. Prob. Not Too Ser. Prob. Don't Know Ext./Very Ser. Prob.
82%
74%
50%
40%
36%
I'd like to read you some problems facing the City of Sunnyvale that other people have mentioned.
Please tell me whether you think it is an extremely serious problem, a very serious problem, somewhat serious problem, or a not too serious problem in Sunnyvale.
Cost of living issues— particularly housing costs—
top the list of voter concerns by a wide margin.
11 Q6. I'd like to read you some problems facing the City of Sunnyvale that other people have mentioned. Please tell me whether you think it is an extremely serious problem, a very serious problem, somewhat serious problem, or a not too serious problem in Sunnyvale. 13%
14%
12%
18%
13%
8%
23%
18%
19%
11%
16%
16%
28%
25%
22%
21%
27%
29%
29%
26%
20%
45%
39%
38%
6%
17%
27%
5%
5%
9%
A lack of public transportation options
The amount people pay in City taxes
Waste and inefficiency in
local government
Too much growth and development
Crime, in general
Jobs and the local economy
Ext. Ser. Prob. Very Ser. Prob. Smwt. Ser. Prob. Not Too Ser. Prob. Don't Know Ext./Very
Ser. Prob.
36%
32%
32%
29%
29%
24%
Only around one-third of voters feel particularly
concerned with city taxes or local government waste.
12 Q6 a-j. I'd like to read you some problems facing the City of Sunnyvale that other people have mentioned. Please tell me whether you think it is an extremely serious problem, a very serious problem, somewhat serious problem, or a not too serious problem in Sunnyvale.
Statement
Extremely/Very Serious Problem
2018 2022 2024 Difference
(2022-2024)
A lack of public transportation options 31% 24% 36% +12% Potholes and deteriorating streets and roads 32% 29% 40% +11% The amount people pay in City taxes 23% 29% 32% +3%
The cost of housing 79% 79% 82% +3%
Jobs and the local economy 21% 22% 24% +2%
Too many homeless residents 36% 49% 50% +1%
Traffic and congestion on
local streets and roads
64% 35% 36% +1%
Waste and inefficiency in local government 31% 32% 32% 0% Crime, in general 20% 30% 29% -1%
Too much growth and development 44% 42% 29% -13%
Growth concerns have waned, while more feel road
conditions are a serious problem; concerns about
public transportation have varied since 2018.
13 Q7.
How would you rate the quality of services provided by the City of Sunnyvale:
excellent, good, fair, or poor?
16%
19%
27%
24%
49%
46%
48%
57%
26%
30%
16%
11%
5%
5%
5%
2024
2022
2018
2016
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't Know Excellent/
Good
65%
65%
75%
81%
Two-thirds positively rate city services, similarly
to 2022, but still down from 2018 & 2016.
14 Q3.
21%
29%
14%
23%
14%
Great need
Some need
A little need
No real need
Don’t know
2022 2024
14%
37%
15%
20%
14%
A Little/No
Real Need
37%
Great/
Some Need
50%
A Little/No
Real Need
35%
Great/
Some Need
51%
Half continue to feel the City has an appreciable need
for more funding, though not quite as intensely.
In your personal opinion, do you think there is a great need, some need, a little need, or no real need for additional funds to provide the level of city services that residents of the City of Sunnyvale need and want?
15 Reactions to a
Potential RPTT Measure
16 Hypothetical Ballot Measure Language
Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? Sunnyvale City Services Funding Measure. To fund essential city services, including police and fire protection;
911 emergency response; disaster preparedness;
addressing homelessness; tree, park, and street
maintenance; and other services, shall the City of Sunnyvale adopt an ordinance enacting a 0.75% real property transfer tax (paid by buyers and sellers upon sale) on property sales over $4,000,000, and generating approximately $6,100,000 annually until ended by voters, with required audits and all funds used locally?
General-purpose; 50% Vote Threshold
17 34%
28%
5%
3%
8%
16%
6%
Definitely yes
Probably yes
Undecided, lean yes
Undecided, lean no
Probably no
Definitely no
Undecided
Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? Total
No
28%
Total
Yes
67%
Two-thirds expressed initial support for the
hypothetical measure, with twice as much intensity
among supporters than among opponents.
62%
without
“leaners”
18 78%
62%
35%
62%
72%
18%
29%
59%
33%
22%
4% 8% 6% 5% 6%
Democrats Independents Republicans Men Women
Total Yes Total No Undecided
There is a strong partisan correlation to support and
opposition, as well as a modest gender divide.
Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? Party Gender
(% of
Sample) (54%) (32%) (51%)
Initial Vote After Hypothetical Ballot Language by Party & Gender (14%) (49%)
19 66%
73% 71%
63%
30% 24% 26% 30%
4% 3% 3% 7%
High School Educated Some College
Education
Four-year College
Graduates
Post-Graduate
Educated
Total Yes Total No Undecided
Educational attainment plays less of a role.
(% of
Sample) (10%) (20%) (29%)
Initial Vote After Hypothetical Ballot Language by Education (31%)
Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? 20 Latino voters are more supportive than
Asian voters; white voters fall in between.
Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? 69%
77%
65%
27%
21% 25%
4% 3%
9%
White Voters Latino Voters Asian/Pacific Islander Voters Total Yes Total No Undecided
(% of
Sample) (44%) (12%) (29%)
Initial Vote After Hypothetical Ballot Language by Race/Ethnicity 21 Support is strongest among
voters under age 40.
Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? 18-29 30-39 40-49 50-64 65-74 75+
Total Yes Total No Undecided
(% of
Sample) (19%) (16%) (16%) (26%) (12%) (11%)
Initial Vote After Hypothetical Ballot Language by Age
22 72%
52%
79%
64%
25%
42%
16%
28%
4% 7% 4% 7%
18-49 50+ 18-49 50+
Total Yes Total No Undecided
Older men are only modestly supportive;
younger women are particularly supportive.
Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? Men Women
(% of
Sample) (24%) (25%) (26%) (24%)
Initial Vote After Hypothetical Ballot Language by Gender by Age 23 <$100,000 $100,000-
$150,000
$150,000-
$200,000
$200,000+ Homeowners Renters
Total Yes Total No Undecided
Renters are more supportive than homeowners,
but majorities of both groups are still supportive.
Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? Household Income Residence
(% of
Sample) (18%) (15%) (35%)
Initial Vote After Hypothetical Ballot Language by Household Income & Residence (14%) (50%)(28%)
24 Majorities of voters in all City Council
districts are supportive, to varying degrees.
Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 Total Yes Total No Undecided
(% of
Sample) (21%) (15%) (16%) (16%) (15%) (17%)
Initial Vote After Hypothetical Ballot Language by City Council District (MOE ±10% - ±12%)
25 82%
54% 48%
70%
58%
14%
37%
51%
25%
35%
4% 9%
1% 5% 7%
Right
Direction
Mixed/
Don't Know
Wrong
Track
Excellent/Good Fair/Poor
Total Yes Total No Undecided
Support correlates with views on Sunnyvale’s
future and the City’s provision of services.
Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? Sunnyvale Direction Service Quality
(% of
Sample) (48%) (41%) (31%)
Initial Vote After Hypothetical Ballot Language by Sunnyvale Direction & Service Quality (11%) (65%)
26 Support also correlates strongly with the
perceived need for addition city funding.
Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? 80% 79%
55%
17% 15%
41%
3% 6% 4%
Great Need Some Need A Little/No Real Need
Total Yes Total No Undecided
(% of
Sample) (14%) (37%) (35%)
Initial Vote After Hypothetical Ballot Language by Funding Need 27 Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? To fund essential City of Sunnyvale
services, including police, fire,
911 response, park and street
maintenance, homelessness response,
and other services, shall the
City of Sunnyvale adopt an ordinance
enacting a real property transfer tax
(paid by buyers and sellers upon sale)
on sales over $3,000,000 paid at the
rate of 0.75%, exempting sales of
$3,000,000 or less, and generating
approximately $7,250,000 annually,
until ended by voters, with required
audits and all funds used locally?
Sunnyvale City Services Funding
Measure. To fund essential city
services, including police and fire
protection; 911 emergency response;
disaster preparedness; addressing
homelessness; tree, park, and street
maintenance; and other services, shall
the City of Sunnyvale adopt an
ordinance enacting a 0.75% real
property transfer tax (paid by buyers
and sellers upon sale) on property
sales over $4,000,000, and generating
approximately $6,100,000 annually
until ended by voters, with required
audits and all funds used locally?
RPPT Ballot Language Tested in Past Surveys
2022 2024
28 Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? To fund essential City of Sunnyvale
services, including police, fire,
911 response, park and street
maintenance, homelessness response,
and other services, shall the
City of Sunnyvale adopt an ordinance
enacting a real property transfer tax
(paid by buyers and sellers upon sale)
on sales over $3,000,000 paid at the
rate of 0.75%, exempting sales of
$3,000,000 or less, and generating
approximately $7,250,000 annually,
until ended by voters, with required
audits and all funds used locally?
Sunnyvale City Services Funding
Measure. To fund essential city
services, including police and fire
protection; 911 emergency response;
disaster preparedness; addressing
homelessness; tree, park, and street
maintenance; and other services, shall
the City of Sunnyvale adopt an
ordinance enacting a 0.75% real
property transfer tax (paid by buyers
and sellers upon sale) on property
sales over $4,000,000, and generating
approximately $6,100,000 annually
until ended by voters, with required
audits and all funds used locally?
RPTT Ballot Language Tested in Past Surveys
2022 2024
29 Q4. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? 34%
28%
5%
3%
8%
16%
6%
26%
19%
7%
1%
14%
25%
7%
2022 2024
Definitely yes
Probably yes
Undecided, lean yes
Undecided, lean no
Probably no
Definitely no
Undecided
Total
No
41%
Total
Yes
52%
Total
No
28%
Total
Yes
67%
Support is notably higher in the current survey
than it was when assessed in the 2022 survey.
30 Q5a.
The most common rationales for support were related
to address inequality and funding city services.
In a few words of your own, why would you vote YES on the property transfer tax measure? 27%
20%
13%
12%
8%
7%
6%
6%
4%
3%
2%
6%
2%
1%
Tax the rich/income inequality
Important funding to improve city services
General positive/I support it
The tax is fair
Address homelessness
Affordable housing/housing
Infrastructure needs maintenance/repairs
Increased safety/needed police services/911
High cost of living/inflation
Parks and trees need maintenance
Other
Don't know
No opinion
(Open-ended; Asked of “Yes” Voters Only, n=297)
Won't be paying the tax/no impact to me/not participating in housing exchange 31 The top opposition rationale was concerns about
taxes, followed by the City’s financial management.
Q5b.
(Open-ended; Asked of “No” Voters Only, n=122)
51%
28%
16%
12%
12%
8%
1%
1%
1%
Taxes are too high
Mismanaged funds/wasted
Would make property transfers too expensive
High cost of living/inflation
Don't trust the city
Generally negative/no
Other
Don't know
No opinion
In a few words of your own, why would you vote NO on the property transfer tax measure? 32 67% 72%
63%
28%
22%
30%
6% 7% 7%
Initial Vote
After Hypothetical
Ballot Language
Midpoint Vote After
Supportive Statements
Final Vote
After Supportive and
Critical Statements
Total No
Total Yes
Undecided
Q4, Q11 & Q13. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? 50%
Over the course of the survey, support
remained above the majority vote threshold.
33 Q4 & Q13. Do you think you would vote “yes” or “no” on this measure? 35%
24%
4%
4%
8%
18%
7%
Initial Vote After
Hypothetical Ballot Language
Final Vote After Supportive
and Critical Statements
Definitely yes
Probably yes
Undecided, lean yes
Undecided, lean no
Probably no
Definitely no
Undecided
Total
No
30%
Total
Yes
63%
Final support was only slightly lower than
initial support, though the intensity of yes/no
voters was essentially identical.
34%
28%
5%
3%
8%
16%
6%
Total
No
28%
Total
Yes
67%
59%
without
“leaners”
34 Measure Structure &
Investment Priorities
35 Q8. The structure of this potential measure has not yet been finalized and I am going to read you a list of provisions that could be included in it. Please tell me whether you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose that provision. 44%
29%
26%
29%
22%
20%
15%
24%
28%
28%
23%
30%
30%
26%
14%
13%
16%
11%
26%
29%
29%
8%
15%
13%
18%
10%
11%
17%
10%
15%
18%
19%
12%
11%
13%
Applying the real property transfer tax
only on sales over $4,000,000
Applying the real property transfer tax
only to sales of commercial and
apartment buildings
Allowing the tax to continue until ended
by voters
Exempting sales of single-family homes
and duplexes from the real property
transfer tax
Making a cost-of-living adjustment to
the $4,000,000 level every year
Making a cost-of-living adjustment to
the $4,000,000 level every five years
Allowing the tax to expire in 30 years
Strng. Supp. Smwt. Supp. Don't Know Smwt. Opp. Strng. Opp. Total Supp.
Total
Opp.
68% 18%
58% 29%
54% 31%
53% 37%
52% 23%
49% 22%
41% 29%
Only applying the RPTT on sales over
$4MM was a particularly popular provision.
36 Ext./Very
Impt.
88%
87%
85%
84%
84%
79%
79%
49%
59%
62%
55%
43%
49%
41%
39%
28%
23%
29%
41%
30%
38%
7%
8%
7%
13%
11%
14%
13%
7%
5%
7%
Maintaining essential city services
Maintaining police, fire and
911 emergency response times
Maintaining police response to
violent crimes
Maintaining fire stations
Maintaining parks and school
open space areas
Maintaining fire protection services
Maintaining police response to
property crimes, such as burglaries
Ext. Impt. Very Impt. Smwt. Impt. Not Too Impt. Don't Know Q9. Split Sample
Maintaining public safety services
was a particularly high priority.
I am going to read you a list of City projects and programs. If additional funds were made available, whether from the ballot measure we previously discussed or from some other means, please tell me how important each spending area is to you personally: extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important. 37 Ext./Very
Impt.
78%
77%
74%
73%
72%
71%
70%
69%
68%
38%
40%
44%
29%
40%
29%
31%
31%
37%
39%
37%
29%
44%
33%
42%
39%
38%
31%
15%
18%
17%
20%
19%
18%
24%
19%
24%
7%
5%
7%
9%
11%
6%
^Maintaining the
City of Sunnyvale’s financial stability
Maintaining and repairing storm drains
to prevent street flooding
Addressing homelessness
Repairing and maintaining parks
Maintaining library programs
Maintaining library hours
Maintaining trees
Ensuring community preparedness for
disasters and large-scale emergencies
Helping retain and attract
local businesses and jobs
Ext. Impt. Very Impt. Smwt. Impt. Not Too Impt. Don't Know Q9. I am going to read you a list of City projects and programs. If additional funds were made available, whether from the ballot measure we previously discussed or from some other means, please tell me how important each spending area is to you personally: extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important. ^Not Part of Split Sample A second tier included storm drains,
homelessness, parks, library, trees, disaster
preparedness, & economic development.
38 Ext./Very
Impt.
67%
66%
64%
62%
58%
58%
58%
55%
50%
41%
30%
25%
29%
37%
27%
25%
23%
26%
27%
36%
40%
33%
21%
31%
34%
31%
24%
17%
22%
22%
29%
28%
28%
29%
28%
25%
8%
9%
11%
8%
13%
12%
10%
16%
21%
8%
5%
Expanding services to help get
homeless people off the streets
Maintaining afterschool programs
Fixing potholes and repairing streets
Repairing sidewalks
Maintaining neighborhood
police patrols
Maintaining senior programs
Maintaining recreation programs
Improve the flow of traffic through
the city
Protecting local property values
Ext. Impt. Very Impt. Smwt. Impt. Not Too Impt. Don't Know Q9. I am going to read you a list of City projects and programs. If additional funds were made available, whether from the ballot measure we previously discussed or from some other means, please tell me how important each spending area is to you personally: extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important. Split Sample
The lowest priority, though still not totally
dismissed, was protecting property values.
39 Conclusions
40 Electoral Context
•Overall views of life in Sunnyvale remain positive and haven’t changed much since 2022.
•While approval of the city’s overall government has come down modestly, a majority continues to approve of its performance and impressions of city services have remained consistently positive. •Though concerns about road conditions and a lack of public transportation options have increased in the past two years, they are not seen a particularly pressing issues in the big picture; especially compared to how intensely concerned voters are about inflation, the cost of living—and especially —the cost of housing. •About half of voters feel the City has an appreciable need for additional funding to support its provision of services, though few feel that funding need is especially acute.
41 Perceptions of
the City Overall views of Sunnyvale’s government and City Council are positive Perceptions of
Need
There is only a modestly held belief that the City has an appreciable need for additional funding
Initial Vote
(Total)
The initial “yes” vote exceeded the vote threshold by a wide margin, with few undecided
Initial Vote
(Intensity)
There was roughly a two-to-one ratio of “definitely yes” voters compared to “definitely no” voters
Vote Movement Though support ended lower than its initial levels, that overall movement was modest, and the final support was comfortably above the 50% threshold Vote Consistency Only 37% ever indicated they would vote “no” on the measure, with support levels generally consistent, if not in degree in aggregate
Historical
Context
Support was much higher for the RPTT measure version tested in the 2024 survey that observed for the similar version tested in 2022
Bond Measure Viability Factors
42 Bond Measure Viability
•It appears that declining to place an RPTT measure on the November 2022 ballot has better positioned the City to consider placing a similar measure on the November 2024 ballot.
•Current support for a measure is much higher than in 2022, even though some of the underlying perceptions of city government and its need for funding are relatively similar to what they were two years ago.
•Specifying a slightly different mixture of services a measure could fund—and especially the inclusion of a higher threshold—appear to have changed how voters view a measure.
•As was the case in the 2022, the most significant obstacle remains persistent concerns that increasing the RPTT would only exacerbate the extreme expense of buying a house in Sunnyvale; however, the higher threshold likely helps mitigate this issue, at least to some extent.
For more information,
contact:
Curt Below
[email protected]
Lucia Del Puppo
[email protected]
1999 Harrison St., Suite 2020
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone (510) 451-9521
Fax (510) 451-0384
44City of Sunnyvale – Receive Real Property Transfer Tax Polling Results - April 2024 Other Potential 2024 Revenue Measure
• Current plan to fund Civic Center Phase II – Main Library is to issue bonds to be paid for with a parcel tax, which also requires a ballot measure.
• Staff is working with FM3 on another round of polling to test measure viability
• Multiple measures on the same ballot may hinder the
likelihood of either or both measures passing.
45City of Sunnyvale – Receive Real Property Transfer Tax Polling Results– April 2024 Alternatives
Council Action
1. Direct staff to return to Council with actions necessary to place a ballot measure on the November 2024 ballot to levy a City Real Property Transfer Tax of $7.50/$1,000 for sales over $4 million.
2. Direct staff to return to Council with actions necessary to place a ballot measure on the ballot with an alternative tax rate or structure.
3. Do not direct staff to return to Council with actions necessary to place a ballot measure on the November 2024 ballot.
4. Take no action pending the results of the library poll.
5. Provide alternative direction to staff.
Staff Recommendation
4. Take no action pending the results of the library poll.