Hayward voters will choose a mayor on November 3 while also deciding whether to approve Measure CC, a proposed overhaul of the city’s business license tax. The city reports a $26 million General Fund deficit this year. The tax system in place dates to July 1978, according to the City of Hayward.
Measure CC would establish a $60 minimum tax and rates of 30 cents to $3.75 per $1,000 of gross receipts. The measure is projected to bring in about $12 million annually, and would take effect January 1, 2027, if voters approve it, according to The Mercury News. Mayor Mark Salinas supports the measure. U.S. Rep. Aisha Wahab and Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Marquez are also listed as supporters, according to SFGATE.
Budget record and competing proposals
The Mercury News reports that the deficit followed about $30 million in earlier overspending that depleted city reserves, with police overtime adding to the financial strain. City employees agreed to forgo 4% cost-of-living adjustments until fiscal year 2027, while the mayor, council, city attorney and clerk paused salary increases for the year. The concessions saved a combined $7.5 million, the newspaper reported. The city has also reduced library hours and some animal shelter services, according to the same account.
Salinas, who became mayor in 2022 after serving on the City Council beginning in 2010, says resolving the deficit is his leading concern, The Mercury News reported. He has pointed to lower industrial-zone vacancies, reduced police overtime and downtown improvements as achievements during his tenure, while saying more work is needed to fill downtown buildings. He has 16 years of elected service and was chosen by mayors from 14 Alameda County municipalities to lead the Alameda County Mayors’ Conference for the 2025–2026 fiscal year, according to the City of Hayward.
Wong’s public-safety plan
Challenger Tom Wong, chair of the Alameda County Republican Party, is making his first run for office. The Mercury News reported that he was born and raised in San Francisco, worked there as an armed private security guard and moved to Hayward about three years ago. Wong’s proposal would allow businesses to pay the salaries and benefits of Hayward police officers in return for their services; he has also suggested the arrangement could serve homeowners associations and golf courses.
Wong told the Mercury News he would consult Police Chief Bryan Matthews about recruitment and retention and look at hiring incentives and advertising for officers in California and other states. Matthews leads a department of 197 sworn officers and became permanent chief in January 2024 after serving as acting chief since September 2022, according to the City of Hayward. On the broader budget, Wong said he wanted more detail before proposing remedies. He also argued that residents face high living costs and that workers oppose layoffs, wage reductions and cuts to benefits, the newspaper reported.
