Perris Voters to Decide Measure C on November 3: Proposed 10-Cent-Per-Square-Foot Tax on Large Warehouses
Voters in Perris, in Riverside County, California, will decide a tax measure aimed at large warehouse facilities in the general election on Tuesday, November 3. The proposal, designated Measure C and formally named the Perris Distribution Facilities, Industrial Business and Truck Yards Tax Measure, was placed on the ballot by the Perris City Council on July 28 in a 4-0 vote.
Under the city's published plan, Measure C would impose a business license tax of up to 10 cents per square foot per year on non-e-commerce industrial, warehouse and manufacturing facilities larger than 50,000 square feet with heavy truck activity. The rate would adjust annually with the Consumer Price Index, with increases capped at 3 percent. City officials said at a town hall meeting that roughly 30 million square feet of non-e-commerce warehouse space in the city could fall within the tax's scope.
The city estimates the tax would raise about $2.5 million a year for the general fund, supporting public services including maintaining 911 emergency response and public safety, repairing streets and potholes, improving traffic safety and retaining small businesses. The measure requires public disclosure of spending and would remain in effect until ended by voters.
The city stresses that Measure C is not a tax on residents, homeowners or traditional small businesses, and is neither a property tax nor a sales tax; e-commerce warehouses and facilities under 50,000 square feet are exempt. As a general tax, Measure C needs only a simple majority (50 percent plus one vote) to pass.
This is Perris's second attempt at a warehouse tax: in November 2023 a similar proposal structured as a special tax failed to reach the required two-thirds majority. This June, Perris voters approved Measure B, a 1 percent general sales tax that the city estimates will raise about $18 million a year.
The official ballot question and full text are available from the city: Measure C official information (City of Perris). The election is conducted by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.
Source: GSM · USA
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Perris 市中心 Metrolink 车站一带（资料图）。CarmenEsparzaAmoux 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Downtown Perris near the Metrolink station (file photo). Photo by CarmenEsparzaAmoux, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
