Charting all Bay Area races

Richmond tax on sugary beverages apparently falls flat

San Francisco voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected Measure F, which would have required the city to explore the possibility of getting rid of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite.

Meanwhile, two controversial East Bay tax measures trailed Tuesday, including a controversial Richmond levy on sugarsweetened beverages that attracted national attention.

An Oakland parcel tax to fund the needs of the city zoo was too close to call, while the Richmond tax measure appeared to face an uphill climb. In addition, a Berkeley measure banning sitting on public sidewalks in commercial districts held a strong lead in Tuesday’s voting.

The San Francisco measure would have required an $ 8 million study to determine if it makes sense to drain the Hetch Hetchy reservoir and replace the electricity it generates and the water it supplies to 2.5 million Bay Area residents.

Richmond’s Measure N would levy a penny- perounce tax on businesses that sell sugar- sweetened beverages in the city, which supporters say would raise $ 2 million to $ 4 million a year for youth recreation and health programs. The beverage industry poured millions into fighting the measure.

The Oakland measure looked to raise $ 112 million over a 25- year period through a parcel tax that would pay for the basic needs and care of zoo animals, zoo upgrades and other improvements, but was opposed by critics who questioned the “open checkbook” the tax would provide for zoo officials.