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Linda Ashley (left) and Ana Apodaca Poll (right) both with the "yes" on Measure L campaign in Newark, Calif. watch as poll workers hand count ballots from last week's election on two close races at the Registrar of Voters in Oakland, Calif. on Monday Nov. 9, 2009. The Emeryville city council race and the Newark Measure L race were being hand counted after measure L was defeated by only 10 votes and one of the Emeryville council candidates won over his opponent by only 7 votes. (Laura A. Oda/Staff)

NEWARK — It's official: Measure L has been defeated by 10 votes.

Poll workers counted by hand Monday the ballots cast in last week's election and confirmed the proposed utility users tax was defeated by one-tenth of a percentage point — 2,354 people voted in favor of the tax, while 2,364 opposed the measure.

Guy Ashley, spokesman for the Alameda County Registrar of Voters office, confirmed Monday that the result was exactly the same as tallied in the initial count. He said the election would likely be certified today.

Once an election is certified by the registrar, the result is considered final; however, anyone can ask for a recount as long as they pay for it, officials have said.

Former Newark City Councilwoman Shirley Sisk, who was a co-leader of the "Residents for Measure L" campaign, said Monday afternoon that there were no plans to ask for a recount.

"Nothing changed, so I don't see a point in doing that," she said.

Typically, poll workers audit by hand 1 percent of all ballots cast, but county Registrar Dave Macdonald ordered a 100 percent manual tally for Newark's Measure L race for two reasons: the vote was so close, and there were only a few thousand ballots to be counted.

The tax was placed on the ballot in August by council members looking to generate a new form of revenue to decrease the effect of the city's budget woes, and to save "vital" services, including police and fire positions.

The

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city faces a $3.5 million shortfall for this fiscal year and has projected a $3.7 million deficit for 2010-11, and $4.1 million for 2011-12, and says it will have to make deep cuts.

Those who voted against the measure said they were concerned with paying another tax, and were afraid the money it generated would be mismanaged.

Reach Ben Aguirre Jr. at 510-353-7011. Follow him at www.twitter.com/benaguirrejr.