City leaders wanted to ask residents for more money to boost depleted services, but failed on Tuesday to place a tax increase measure on the November ballot because they couldn't agree on how the money would be spent.

A divided San Jose City Council voted against placing a measure on the November ballot to increase the sales tax rate by a quarter-cent, to 9 percent, even though 10 of 11 council members wanted to put a tax bump on the ballot.

The problem? Mayor Chuck Reed and five other council members wanted to earmark the $34 million in new tax revenues for public safety, while four other members wanted the money available to be spent on any city services. The measure needed eight votes to make it to the ballot, and neither side was willing to budge....

The measure died because of a classic San Jose political fight that pitted Reed and his fiscal conservative allies against union-backed council members. Reed's group was worried a general tax could be wasted on pork and employee pensions by future councils while his opponents wanted to ensure other services such as roads and recreation centers would also be funded.