Alameda County Registrar David Macdonald is expected to certify the results of the Nov. 6 election this week that show that the hotly contested Measure B1 transportation tax lost by a fraction of a percent in a final tally of all votes cast.

Macdonald said that the measure received 350,899 yes votes, or 66.53% of the votes cast on the measure, against 176,504 votes, or 33.47%. The measure needed a two-thirds majority vote to pass, or 66.6%, losing by a scant 0.14%.

The measure would have doubled Alameda County's transportation sales tax to a full 1 cent, adding a half-cent to the earlier voter-approved transportation tax of a half-cent that was approved in 1986. It also would have made the full 1-cent tax permanent with a provision that it would come again before voters in 20 years, but would require only a majority vote to be continued in perpetuity.

It would have raised additional tax revenue to increase spending on roads, freeways, public transit, bicycle and pedestrian improvements and transit-oriented developments, proponents said.

Opponents said in their ballot argument that the measure would be "a massive tax increase" that would disproportionately harm working families
because a greater percentage of their income goes to sales taxes.

It's unlikely that there will be a recount as such a close result might have led to in a contest between political candidates. A recount would be costly with no clear funding available to pay for a recount, analysts said.

— Jeb Bing

Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.