Appeals court makes tax increases easier

The March primary election was rough on advocates of new taxes.
Hundreds of tax hikes — sales and parcel taxes, mostly — were placed on the ballot by cities, counties and school districts whose finances were being squeezed. However, voters rejected roughly half of them, reversing what had been a recent trend.
The election occurred as the COVID-19 pandemic was erupting, followed by widespread economic shutdowns to curb the disease. The March election results, the pandemic and the deep