Hercules Approves Sales Tax Polling Push, Fixes Housing Policy That Blocked 77 Families

The Hercules City Council moved unanimously on every item Tuesday night, but the consensus masked substantive debates about fiscal strategy, fair housing compliance and wildfire-era building rules. A promising poll for a potential 1% sales tax measure drew the most discussion, while a quiet policy fix reopened affordable housing doors that had been shut by an occupancy formula no other city in the region uses.

• $75,000 approved for ballot measure communications after poll shows 57% initial support for a 1% sales tax

• Affordable housing occupancy limits overhauled after 77 families were excluded from a single lottery

• 2025 California building codes adopted with post-wildfire local amendments mirroring Contra Costa County

• Council honors former Mayor Eduardo "Ed" Manuel, who served Hercules from 1978 to 1992

• Black History Month proclamation draws reflective remarks from all five council members

Why it matters: Hercules is weighing whether to ask voters to approve a 1% general purpose sales tax as early as November 2026. Polling from FM3 — surveying 421 likely voters — found the measure is the only viable revenue option the city tested, but the council has not yet decided whether to place it on the ballot.