City of Albany Measure Q — EMS, ALS, Fire Protection Parcel Tax Measure (Alameda County)

What it does

Shall the measure updating the Emergency Medical Services, Advanced Life Support, and Fire Protection Special Tax on residential and commercial property, by adding low-income tax exemptions and rebates, and adjusting the rate from $0.0807 per square foot to the new rates as provided in the measure if a parcel over 500,000 square feet in size becomes exempt from this tax, providing an estimated $2,500,000 annually until ended by voters, be adopted?

A YES vote means

Albany's emergency medical and fire protection tax would add low-income exemptions and rebates, and switch from $0.0807 per square foot to new rates if a parcel over 500,000 square feet becomes exempt; it raises about $2,500,000 a year until ended by voters.

A NO vote means

Albany's emergency medical and fire protection tax would not be updated with these exemptions, rebates and rate changes.

Needed to pass

A two-thirds supermajority: at least 2 out of every 3 YES and NO votes must be YES, so a measure can get a majority and still fail.

Left–right lean

Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

The Albany City Council placed this measure on the ballot by Resolution No. 2026-62, adopted unanimously on July 20, 2026, according to the resolution filed with the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.

According to the resolution, the existing special tax for emergency transport and firefighting staffing is levied on land area at $0.0807 per square foot (CPI-indexed), with an exemption for very low-income homeowners and a rebate for very low-income renters.

The update would keep that rate unless a parcel of 500,000 square feet or more becomes wholly exempt, after which the Council could levy up to $0.254 per building square foot for developed property and $0.110 per lot square foot for undeveloped parcels, with CPI increases capped at 3% a year; it also adds a 50% exemption for low-income homeowners.

Put on the ballot by Albany City Council, unanimous, July 20, 2026 (Resolution No. 2026-62).

From official source.

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Also on Alameda County ballots

• City of Alameda Measure L — GO Bond Measure
• City of Alameda Measure M — Charter Amendment - Amend And Repeal Outdated Provisions
• City of Alameda Measure N — Charter Amendment - Leases And Sales Of Real Property Measure
• City of Albany Measure O — Requirement To Zoning Changes Measure
• City of Albany Measure P — Street Paving And Storm Drain Parcel Tax Measure
• City of Albany Measure R — Business License Tax Measure
• City of Albany Measure S — Real Property Transfer Tax Measure
• City of Albany Measure T — Street Trees & Streetlighting Parcel Tax Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure U — Bond Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure V — Sales Tax Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure W — Charter Amendment Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure X — Rent Ordinance Amendment Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure Y — Initiative - Arts Tax Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure Z — Initiative - Public Bank Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure AA — Initiative - Soda Tax Measure
• City of Emeryville Measure BB — Business Tax Measure

All Alameda County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on City of Albany Measure Q mean?

Albany's emergency medical and fire protection tax would add low-income exemptions and rebates, and switch from $0.0807 per square foot to new rates if a parcel over 500,000 square feet becomes exempt; it raises about $2,500,000 a year until ended by voters.

What does a NO vote on City of Albany Measure Q mean?

Albany's emergency medical and fire protection tax would not be updated with these exemptions, rebates and rate changes.

How many votes does City of Albany Measure Q need to pass?

A two-thirds supermajority: at least 2 out of every 3 YES and NO votes must be YES, so a measure can get a majority and still fail.

Should I vote yes or no on City of Albany Measure Q?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.