Modesto's 'Stamp Out Sprawl' Measure I Maintains Narrow Lead

November 4, 2015 |

By the narrowest of margins, voters appear to have approved a measure that will place strict limits on where and how the City of Modesto can grow.

According to unofficial results posted on the Stanislaus County Voters Registrar website, with all precincts at least partially reporting, 50.33 to 49.67-percent of voters approved Measure I. The vote tally is currently 6,355 in favor of the measure and 6,272 opposing.

Placed on the ballot by the group "Stamp Out Sprawl," backers of the the measure advocated for the change because of a "distrust of Modesto politicians as a reason to support the measure, alleging that politicians have a history of back-room deals with developers, which they believe the measure will help circumvent," according to Ballotpedia.org. 

The results have not been certified. Opponents, which included labor unions and real estate developers, said that limiting growth would hurt economic development and deprive the city of a future tax base to fund public safety. Below are some of the contributions from opponents of the measure.

• $7,500 from the Tenet Healthcare Corp., which owns the Doctors Medical Center of Modesto, Emanuel Medical Center of Turlock and Doctors Hospital of Manteca
• $6,000 from the Modesto Chamber of Commerce
• $5,000 from the Modesto Police Officers Association
• $3,000 from Sylvan Property Management
• $2,000 from Rank Investigations
• $2,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
• $1,000 from the local building industry PAC,
• $1,000 from TSM Insurance and Financial Services
• $1,000 from attorney David Gianelli
• $1,000 from Chamber of Commerce CEO Cecil Russell.