The County of Alameda is engaged in a legal battle with the Alameda County Taxpayers’ Association, Inc. The case, filed in the Court of Appeal of the State of California (First Appellate District, Division Five), is identified as A166401 and A166404. The court filing was made on February 23, 2024.
The lawsuit revolves around Measure C, a tax initiative aimed at funding childcare and early education. Initially, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors proposed Measure A—an 80-year, one-half percent sales tax—but it failed to receive two-thirds voter approval in June 2018. Subsequently, a slimmed-down version—a 20-year, one-half percent sales tax—was considered but tabled.
The dispute also involves public officials' involvement in the campaign committee for Measure C. There is evidence that Brown served on this committee in his individual capacity during paid leave and vacation time.
The plaintiff seeks a judgment that Measure C does not violate article II, section 12 by granting a specific private corporation a function or advantage. The county argues that merely naming Children’s Hospital Oakland in Measure C's findings does not assign it any function or power; thus it does not violate article II, section 12.