VOTE411 Voter Guide

The Question:Shall the measure amending the Contra Costa County General Plan and the County’s 65/35 Land Preservation Plan Ordinance to continue protections to the County’s non-urban, agricultural, and open space areas by extending the term of the County’s Urban Limit Line through December 31, 2051; adopting an updated Urban Limit Line map; requiring voter approval, except under limited circumstances, to expand the Urban Limit Line by more than 30 acres; and retaining the 65/35 Land Preservation Standard, be adopted?Yes Votes Needed to Pass: 50% +1 (majority) of the total votes cast on the measure by eligible votersPlaced on the Ballot By: Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, 12/9/2025https://contra-costa.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7773536&GUID=16A8AB40-2601-4575-87C1-2F52EE49FE96A "yes" vote supports amending the county general plan and land preservation ordinance to extend the Urban Limit Line through 2051, adopt an updated map, require voter approval for certain expansions, and retain the 65/35 land preservation standard.A "no" vote opposes amending the county general plan and land preservation ordinance to extend the Urban Limit Line through 2051, adopt an updated map, require voter approval for certain expansions, and retain the 65/35 land preservation standard.Full Text of Measure A:See the Contra Costa County Voter Information Guide mailed to each voter, or https://www.contracostavote.gov/m9009-en/COUNTY COUNSEL’S IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF MEASURE AIn 1990, Contra Costa County voters approved Measure C-1990, the 65/35 Contra Costa County Land Preservation Plan Ordinance (“65/35 Ordinance”). Measure C-1990 limited urban development to no more than 35 percent of the land in the County and required that at least 65 percent be preserved for agriculture, open space, wetlands, parks, and other non-urban uses. Measure C-1990 also established the County’s Urban Limit Line (“ULL”), a line beyond which no urban land use can be designated.In 2004, voters approved Measure J-2004, which extended a local transportation sales tax (Measure C-1988) by 25 years and allowed the County to receive a share of those sale tax proceeds provided the County had a voter-approved ULL. In 2006, voters approved Measure L-2006, which extended the term of the ULL to December 31, 2026.In order to continue to be eligible to receive transportation sales tax proceeds after 2026, the ULL must be extended beyond 2026. This measure would extend the County’s ULL for 25 years, through December 31, 2051.If this ballot measure is approved by the voters, the measure would amend the County’s 2045 General Plan and the 65/35 Ordinance to accomplish the following: (1) extend the term of the 65/35 Ordinance from December 31, 2026, through December 31, 2051; (2) require four-fifths vote of the County Board of Supervisors and voter approval to expand the ULL by more than 30 acres (except under limited circumstances); (3) provide for periodic reviews of the ULL by the Board of Supervisors and a required review involving an evaluation of housing and job needs; (4) update and expand the criteria for moving land outside the ULL; (5) incorporate a revised ULL map that among other things delineates an area of future potential expansion near the Byron Airport; and (6) retain the 65/35 land preservation standard and protections for the County’s prime agricultural land.This measure will become effective immediately if approved by a majority of the voters voting on the measure.SUPPORTERS SAY:Over the past 36 years, the Urban Limit Line has protected thousands of acres of open space and agricultural lands and successfully channeled growth into areas of the County most appropriate for urban development. Through Measure A, the Board of Supervisors asks the voters to extend the benefits of the County’s Urban Limit Line through the year 2051.Protecting Contra Costa County’s open space and agricultural lands, discouraging urban sprawl, and reducing future traffic congestion, are issues that matter to County residents. These issues are not new. In 1990 the voters approved Measure C: The Contra Costa County 65/35 Land Preservation Plan Ordinance, which established the County’s Urban Limit Line, a boundary beyond which no urban land uses could be approved through the year 2010. In 2006 the voters reaffirmed their commitment to smart growth policies by approving Measure L, which extended Measure C’s protections through 2026. Measure L is now set to expire.What does a “yes” vote on Measure A mean? A “yes” vote will extend the term of the Urban Limit Line for another 25 years, ensuring continued protection and preservation of open space and agricultural lands. A “yes” vote will continue the existing requirement for voter approval of Urban Limit Line expansions exceeding 30 acres, meaning that the voters will continue to decide whether the unincorporated, rural areas of Contra Costa County should be urbanized. A “yes” vote will ensure that urban development occurs only in unincorporated communities with public services, such as roads and utilities, that are adequate to accommodate future growth. A “yes” vote will maintain the County’s eligibility to receive local road maintenance funds under the ½-cent transportation sales tax program approved by voters in 2004.We strongly urge voters to approve Measure A.Supporters include John Gioia, Contra Costa County Supervisor; Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County Supervisor; Diane Burgis, Contra Costa County Supervisor; Ken Carlson, Contra Costa County Supervisor; Shanelle Scales-Preston, Contra Costa County SupervisorOPPONENTS SAY:Contra Costa County has a housing crisis. Home prices and rents have risen far beyond what working families, teachers, nurses, and young adults can afford. Measure A would make that shortage worse for the next 25 years.Proponents call this an “extension” of the Urban Limit Line. It is not. Measure A removes an additional 9,460 acres — equivalent to 14.78 square miles, larger than 10 of the 19 cities in Contra Costa County — from any possible urban housing use through 2051.In Byron and other East County communities, the redrawn boundary pulls land currently outside the ULL into a new restricted zone, stripping longtime residents and family farmers of development rights and property value without recourse.When Contra Costa restricts its land supply, families don’t disappear. They move and commute back.For 25 years, Measure A will lock in a rigid urban boundary, preventing cities and the County from adjusting it for areas over 30 acres without going back to the ballot. Housing needs shift, economic opportunities emerge, and infrastructure plans evolve. Under Measure A, elected officials are powerless to respond to the needs of the people.There is a direct contradiction at the heart of this measure. State law has spent years overriding local zoning because counties like Contra Costa have restricted housing for too long. Measure A responds by locking restrictions tighter for a quarter century, pricing out the next generation of County residents.Protecting open space is a legitimate goal — but it should be pursued through targeted conservation easements and willing-seller purchases or even general or specific plans, not a blunt boundary that worsens affordability, displaces families, and precludes responsive elected representation.Measure A is not smart planning, it’s a 25-year urban straitjacket.For more, go to SayNoToMeasureA.com. Vote No on Measure A.Opponents include Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, Denise Kalm, President Pro-Tem; Patricia Bristow, Director, Byron Sanitary District