Solano County Votes To Tax Pot Clubs, Not Shoppers
VALLEJO (KCBS) - Solano County voters Tuesday appear to have elected mostly incumbents and a few newcomers to various city councils and approved a local measure that imposes a tax on marijuana businesses to provide for city services while defeating a measure that would have raised a citywide sales tax.
In Fairfield, one newcomer and one incumbent appear to have been chosen by a slim margin over incumbent candidate Rick Vaccaro, a former high school principal and three-year councilman.
Pam Bertani, 47, a patent attorney, won a City Council seat Tuesday with 27 percent of the vote, according to complete unofficial election results. Trailing just behind with 26.6 percent voter support, 56-year-old Fairfield Vice Mayor and retired policeman Chuck Timm was also apparently elected Tuesday.
Benicia voters Tuesday appear to have narrowly reelected incumbent Mayor Elizabeth Patterson with 50.9 percent of the vote, defeating the city's current vice mayor, Alan Schwartzman, who received 48 percent of voter support.
Benicia City Councilman Tom Campbell handily secured his council seat with 37 percent of the vote. Benicia voters also elected a newcomer to the council, small business owner Christina Strawbridge, with 30.9 percent.
Vallejo voters also chose an incumbent, re-electing Mayor Osby Davis, who has served as mayor for four years. Davis received 51.5 percent of the vote Tuesday compared to rival candidate Joanne Schivley, a three-term councilwoman, who got 47 percent of votes.
The mayor has said that despite reduced city services in Vallejo because of the economic downturn, he has helped balance the city budget and add to its reserve.
In the Vallejo City Council race, voters appear to have re-elected incumbent Erin Hannigan, who received just 14 votes more than newcomer Bob Sampayan, a retired police officer who also earned a spot on the council, according to unofficial figures.
Voters appear to have chosen newcomer Robert McConnell, a bankruptcy attorney, to fill the third open seat.
Measure C, which will impose a tax on local marijuana businesses to support a wide range of city services, apparently passed by a landslide in Vallejo Tuesday with 76 percent of the vote, according to unofficial election numbers.
Vallejo voters appear to have rejected a second ballot measure by just 64 votes. Measure B would have allowed the city to collect a 1 percent sales tax to support a wide range of city services.
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