City of Orange Measure J — City of Orange Hotel Guest Tax Modification Measure (Orange County)

What it does

Shall the measure updating the City of Orange’s existing Transient Occupancy Tax, a tax on persons occupying hotel rooms by increasing the tax rate from 10% to 14% for hotels with 11 or more rooms and applying the tax to online and other travel companies, generating approximately $3,000,000 annually for general City purposes including police, fire and emergency response, parks, and street and infrastructure maintenance, until ended by voters, be adopted?

A YES vote means

The City of Orange's hotel tax would rise from 10% to 14% for hotels with 11 or more rooms and would apply to online and other travel companies, raising about $3,000,000 a year for general city purposes until ended by voters.

A NO vote means

The City of Orange's hotel tax would stay at 10% and would not be applied to travel companies.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

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 Orange City Council submitted Measure J to voters, according to the City Attorney's impartial analysis; it would amend the city's transient occupancy (hotel guest) tax.

According to the analysis, the rate would rise from 10% to 14% for hotels with 11 or more rooms (smaller hotels stay at 10%), and the tax would apply to the full amount charged to guests, including amounts collected by online travel and booking companies.

The City estimates about $3 million a year for the General Fund, usable for any municipal purpose; a simple majority is required, and the voter guide prints an argument in favor and notes that no argument against was submitted.

Put on the ballot by Orange City Council, 2026 (resolution date and vote not stated in the voter guide).

From official source.

Next elections here

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Also on Orange County ballots

• City of Costa Mesa Measure C — The Costa Mesa Fair Business License Reform, Small Business Protection Measure
• City of Irvine Measure D — Measure Directing the Use of Ranked Choice Voting for City Council Member and Mayoral Elections after January 1, 2028
• City of Laguna Beach Measure E — An Ordinance of the People of the City of Laguna Beach, California, Adding Section 2.04.080 to the Laguna Beach Municipal Code to Establish Term Limits for City Council Members
• City of Lake Forest Measure F — Lake Forest Election Reform and Voter Choice Measure
• City of Los Alamitos Measure G — Los Alamitos Hotel Tax (TOT Measure)
• City of Newport Beach Measure H — City of Newport Beach General Plan – Amendment
• City of Orange Measure I — City of Orange Public Safety/Essential Services Measure
• City of Orange Measure K — Proposed Charter for the City of Orange
• City of Placentia Measure L — Placentia Hotel Tax Measure
• City of San Clemente Measure M — San Clemente Natural Hazards Sales Tax Citizens Initiative
• City of Santa Ana Measure N — Santa Ana Streets, Public Safety, Essential City Services Measure
• City of Westminster Measure O — Westminster City Services Measure

All Orange County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on City of Orange Measure J mean?

The City of Orange's hotel tax would rise from 10% to 14% for hotels with 11 or more rooms and would apply to online and other travel companies, raising about $3,000,000 a year for general city purposes until ended by voters.

What does a NO vote on City of Orange Measure J mean?

The City of Orange's hotel tax would stay at 10% and would not be applied to travel companies.

How many votes does City of Orange Measure J need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on City of Orange Measure J?

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.