Hayward voters will decide the fate of Measure C next Tuesday, which seeks to generate an estimated $200 million in funding to the city over the course of 20 years through sales tax revenue.

The measure imposes a half cent increase, to 9.5 percent, on sales tax on the same goods charged by the state sales tax, including: cars, toys and furniture according to a report from the city. The tax would exclude items such as groceries, prescription medical products, and items paid for with food stamps.

The increased tax is estimated to generate $10 million yearly in new revenue that will go toward building a new library, and fund police and firefighting services amongst others. After 20 years, the tax increase will end and will be eligible for renewal.

“Many of these facilities were built more than 50 years ago, when the city’s population was less than one tenth of what it is currently. Today, many of these buildings have grown old, deteriorated or have become unsafe over many decades of constant use,” states a presentation from the city.

The annual $10 million that Measure C is projected to generate will be a general fund that will be controlled by city, not the state.

This will hold City Council responsible for the fund, said Communications and Media Relations Officer Frank Holland, believing that a general fund that is locally controlled is beneficial.

Holland stated, “In California, more money goes into the state rather than into the city. The money is locally controlled so the state won’t be able to take the money away, it is pure local revenue.”

Holland further explained the city’s need for upgraded fire facilities. “[A] majority of the fire stations are not up to code and have outdated technology,” said Holland. “They aren’t even large enough to accommodate fire department apparatus. $800,000 will go into the fire department as well as an additional $650,000 for a new fire station.”

However, the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the funds generated will be unrestricted, meaning that the city is not legally bound to use the money generated to follow through on their promises of renovating Hayward’s aging infrastructure or building a new library.

City Council determined “the final ballot question” based on responses that were accumulated from various surveys sent to local citizens, a report from the city states.

The city conducted a community survey in January and February called the 2014 Revenue Measure Feasibility Project to determine what Hayward residents saw as priorities.  Out of the 3,443 people surveyed, the top choice was to “restore police officer positions for neighborhood police patrols.”

The other top choices, in order, were to restore maintenance worker positions to repair infrastructure in the city, to replace and upgrade the Hayward library, to upgrade fire fighter facilities, and to increase neighborhood graffiti and trash removal, The Pioneer previously reported.