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.
According to the impartial analysis of Measure Z on the city’s website, a seven-member community oversight panel would be established if the initiative were to pass in November. The panel would consist of members from sectors such as health care, dental, wellness, education and youth organizations, and would recommend how to use the revenue brought in by the tax with the intention of promoting “community health & wellness and for general revenue purposes.”
Some beverages would be exempt from the tax such as beverages containing less than 40 calories per 12 fluid ounces of beverage, milk products, drinks with natural sweeteners such as honey, baby formula, beverages intended for medical use or as a meal replacement and alcoholic drinks.
The campaign supporting the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax, called Yes on Measure Z for a Safe and Healthy Santa Cruz, has raised about $20,000 in campaign contributions year to date, approximately $1.21 million less than the No on Z campaign, according to the latest filing.
The Yes on Measure Z for a Safe and Healthy Santa Cruz campaign has spent more money than it has received, with about $43,600 in total expenditures year to date and an outstanding debt of about $26,000. During the second disclosure period, the Yes on Z campaign received about $3,600 in contributions and spent about $9,300.
Some of the largest contributions to the Yes on Z campaign during the second disclosure period were given by the Democratic Women’s Club of Santa Cruz County, which contributed $1,000 and with local officials such as Third District County Supervisor Justin Cummings and Santa Cruz City Councilmember Sandy Brown both giving $100 to the campaign.
One of the largest expenditures made by the Yes on Z campaign was made to Sentinel Printers for campaign literature and mailings. The Yes on Z campaign made its largest payment to Orinda-based public relations and communications firm Team CivX, of which the campaign has an outstanding balance at the end of the disclosure period of about $23,000.
The campaign opposing the tax, called Campaign for an Affordable Santa Cruz, is sponsored by the American Beverage Association’s Ad committee top funders, which include corporations such as The Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo and Affiliated Entities, and Keurig Dr Pepper.
The Campaign for an Affordable Santa Cruz has raised $1.23 million total to date and received $385,000 in the second disclosure period with the largest contribution of $177,485 coming from The Coca-Cola Co. via the American Beverage Association. Other contributions were made during the period spanning Sept. 22 to Oct. 19 via the American Beverage Association by PepsiCo and Affiliated Entities, which gave about $135,300. Keurig Dr Pepper gave about $65,800 and Red Bull North America gave about $6,500 to the No on Z campaign in the second disclosure period through the American Beverage Association.
The No on Z campaign has reported total expenditures of about $1.7 million to date, with about $923,000 spent during the second disclosure period. Some of the largest payments made from Sept. 22 to Oct. 19 include those to Polaris Strategies and Bearstar Strategies, which served as agents to make payments for consulting, lodging, mailings, postage and advertising to various businesses and organizations, such as Good Times Weekly and the Santa Cruz Sentinel, among others.
To read the latest campaign finance disclosure forms for the Measure Z race, visit cityofsantacruz.com.
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