Thomas Levinson/Daily Journal Mike Vail, a supporter of Robert Ross, watches election results update via the Internet along with Claudia, at Ross’ election night party.

Calling it a night or making a purchase will get more expensive in parts of San Mateo County after voters in six cities passed hikes to their hotel taxes and San Mateo voters also approved a half-cent sales tax.

While voters gave hotel taxes the thumbs up — some even approaching a landslide — as an alternative to cuts, a sales tax measure in San Carlos and business license tax proposal in Redwood City both failed.

Of the six hotel tax measures on the ballot, the proposal in Burlingame netted the strongest support with 79.4 percent of voters approving Measure H.

San Mateo’s Measure M followed with 74.5 percent of the vote, Millbrae’s Measure J passed with 68.1 percent of the vote and San Bruno’s Measure F took 70.1 percent of the vote.

The passage of the hotel taxes might not be surprising — most were sold as a way to raise money from tourists and business travelers instead of residents and all but Brisbane’s Measure G had no organized opposition.

Brisbane’s measure passed however with 63.9 percent of the vote.

These hotel proposals were similar, each asking a straightforward 2 percent increase for a total of 12 percent.

Measure O in South San Francisco also passed with 77.9 percent of the vote. Unlike the others, Measure O was different by raising the hotel tax 1 percent — to 10 percent — and adding a $2.50 per room, per night fee.

On top of the hotel tax measure, San Mateo asked voters to increase the sales tax by a quarter cent for the next eight years to help fill a $4 million shortfall.

Measure L started off strong with 59.6 percent of the vote and held on through the night, climbing to 60.8 percent in favor by the end.

As results first trickled in, San Mateo Councilwoman Jan Epstein said she was confident in the measure’s success because “people understand that it’s a risk if it doesn’t pass.”

City Manager Susan Loftus agreed.

“There’s a broad base of support from the community and the council. It’s a balanced approach to resolve our challenges and we appreciate the support of our community,” she said.

Further down the Peninsula, San Carlos — also struggling with finances but without the hotel inventory that made a tax on rooms feasible — was less successful with its half-cent sales tax proposal for six years.

With only absentees counted, the measure started off on a failing foot with only 47.1 percent favoring the increase and never recovered. The measure finished the night with 55.7 percent opposed.

The new 9.75 percent sales tax would have generated approximately $2.2 million annually for needs like police, maintenance, parks and recreation programs and capital improvements.

Councilman Matt Grocott was the lone city official to vocally oppose Measure U while the others, along with the Chamber of Commerce, touted its necessity.

With 11 of 19 precincts reporting, Mayor Bob Grassilli said one should never say never but conceded the measure looked doomed. The next steps, he said, are figuring out why it failed and the effect on the city’s finances.

“We talked during the last budget cycle what midyear adjustments might be needed without the revenue measure,” he said. “There will still be basic services provided. They just might not look the same.”

Grocott, however, said voters weren’t saying that cuts are acceptable but instead that the council needs to “do some hard work” to tackle the “real problem” of escalating costs.

Redwood City’s Measure Y would have increased the business license tax gradually over three years by 50 percent, catching it up to where officials say it should be because of inflation since 1994. Proponents estimated it could have brought the city an extra $650,000 in revenue but even with no organized opposition it failed with only 45.5 percent of the vote in favor.

Re-elected Councilman Jeff Ira said city officials had hoped the tax would “really help soften the blow” to the budget.

“It’s going to be tough to find alternative revenue, but people are really hurting now,” Ira said.

Chris Leydig contributed to this report.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102.