SMART Tax Renewal Campaign Proposed by High-Powered Group

A former transportation official, a union director and a business leader in the North Bay have formed a group  — that is strongly supported by local elected officials  —  seeking to renew a critical sales tax for the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit through a simple-majority vote.

The group, which calls itself the SMART Initiative, is led by Suzanne Smith, the former executive director of the Sonoma County Transportation Authority; Michael Pickens, district representative of Operating Engineers Local 3 in Rohnert Park; and Joanne Webster, the president and chief executive officer of the North Bay Leadership Council.

The group is pursuing a citizens’ initiative to extend the existing quarter-cent tax with no increase for 30 years. A citizens’ initiative, also known as a voter-led initiative, requires campaign leaders to collect signatures on a petition to propose a measure.

With enough signatures from voters in Sonoma and Marin counties, the measure would require only a simple majority — rather than a two-thirds vote — to pass. The plan is to put a measure on the June 2026 ballot.

Without renewal, the existing quarter-cent sales tax that collects $51 million annually — or more than half the agency’s revenue — would expire in 2029, forcing the agency to cease operations.

“SMART is on an amazing trajectory right now,” said Smith, who is serving as chair of the SMART Initiative committee.

Smith said SMART has increased ridership 30% in the past year and has been successful in working toward extending the rail line north. The agency celebrated the opening of the Windsor station on Friday, and recently announced it is in line for $81 million in state funding to take trains to Healdsburg.

After an expensive and contentious campaign fight in 2020, SMART failed to gain the two-thirds approval for a 30-year extension, leaving the agency financially vulnerable. The measure received a 54% majority vote in favor.

Smith said reaching the two-thirds threshold is challenging.

“We have this amazing existing transit system that our community and taxpayers have invested a lot in, and a vast majority who feel strongly that they want to see it continue,” Smith said. “Using the initiative process and letting the majority of voters decide is the right thing to do. We’re going to try to get every vote we can when we qualify this for the ballot.”

Smith said recent polling shows that the rail agency is regaining community support. The poll conducted by Dave Metz, a public opinion consultant for Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, was presented to the agency’s board in April.

Results showed overall support of a tax renewal has increased from 65% to 69% in the past year, according to 842 responses from likely voters in Marin and Sonoma counties. Metz said the survey has a plus-minus 4.9% margin of error.

Marin County has 173,872 registered voters, while Sonoma County has 314,218, according to the most recent state data posted Feb. 10. A successful petition requires signatures of at least 10% of registered voters between the two counties. That’s nearly 49,000 signatures.

The Marin County Elections Department said in order to qualify for the June 2026 ballot, the campaign would have to have all necessary paperwork and a resolution approved by officials filed by March 6.

Smith said it’s a tall task, but she believes the campaign team can get it done.

While they plan to use volunteers to help gather signatures, Smith said they also will hire a signature-gathering firm to help.

When asked how much the campaign will cost and who is financing the plan, Smith said the budget has not yet been established, and the work to build a fundraising committee is just beginning.

“We expect the campaign will be supported by a lot of the same environmental groups, employers, labor organizations, and transportation folks as past efforts,” Smith said.

In 2020, dueling campaigns on the sales tax extension bid amassed around $2.4 million in donations from financial backers.

Greg Sarris, tribal chairman of Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, donated $1 million to support the renewal campaign, while Molly Flater, a Sonoma County executive, donated $1.2 million to the opposition.

Since defeat, the need for a tax renewal has been hanging over the heads of SMART officials.

Last year, the agency took a wait-and-see approach as potential new paths for tax revenue came into play.

Sen. Bill Dodd, a Democrat from Napa, introduced a bill that clarified voters in the two counties were empowered to seek a citizens’ initiative to get a renewal measure on the ballot. Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a bill in the fall.

Earlier this year, the SMART board directed staff to begin preparing a measure to appear on a ballot as early as 2026. A measure pitched by the district would require a two-thirds approval. Staff presented a draft full text measure and associated expenditure plan to the board in April.

The board did not make any decision on when to put the sales tax extension on the ballot.

Julia Gonzalez, SMART spokesperson, said in an email it is important to make clear that SMART staff are not participants in or managing the SMART Initiative campaign.

Nonetheless, “we are supportive of this initiative because it provides voters in Marin and Sonoma counties the opportunity to protect their rail and pathway infrastructure investment for future generations,” Gonzalez said.

Marin and Sonoma County supervisors, many of whom serve on the SMART board, also support the campaign.

“I am thrilled and fully in support,” said Marin County Supervisor Eric Lucan, a SMART board member.

Lucan acknowledged that SMART staff is preparing a ballot measure.

“As board members, our job is to make sure that the trains continue to run,” Lucan said. “I don’t think we’ll take the option of the table.”

Other supporters include Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire, a Democrat from Healdsburg, and Assemblymembers Damon Connolly, a Democrat from San Rafael, and Santa Rosa Democrat Chris Rogers.

“The SMART Train is essential to the North Bay’s future — it’s how we reduce traffic, fight climate change, and connect workers to jobs and students to schools,” McGuire said in a statement. “I couldn’t be more excited to support The SMART Initiative. Let’s keep decades of progress on track and moving forward.”

In an email, Connolly said, “The initiative ensures that the SMART Train can maintain service, expand access, and keep people moving — while reducing traffic and cutting emissions. It’s a crucial investment for the entire region, and I’m proud to support it.”

SMART also has its detractors.

Novato resident Mike Arnold served as the treasurer for the campaign against the 2020 tax renewal.

Arnold said in pursuing a citizens’ initiative, “the leaders of SMART have conceded that they can’t pass the tax extension measure requiring a two-thirds vote.”

“Collecting the over 45,000 valid signatures will cost their campaign almost a million dollars for professional signature gatherers,” Arnold said. “They’ll find out that changing the rules for passing a regressive tax in the middle of the game is not a winning political strategy.”