LWV League of Women Voters of California
Smart Voter
Santa Clara County, CA June 3, 2003 Election
Measure B
School Funding Measure
Campbell Union School District

Parcel Tax - 2/3 approval required

4,941 / 57.0% Yes votes ...... 3,724 / 43.0% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Information shown below: Yes/No Meaning | Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Full Text

To keep experienced teachers, prevent teacher layoffs, keep school libraries accessible to students, preserve small class sizes, maintain academic programs including arts, music and technology, and provide local funding that cannot be taken by the State, shall Campbell Union School District be authorized to levy a special tax of $180.00 per parcel each year for 4 years, with an exemption for residential owners 65 or older, and shall the District's annual appropriations limit be revised by such amount?

Meaning of Voting Yes/No
A YES vote of this measure means:
A yes vote is a vote to approve a qualified special tax on parcels within the Campbell Union School District for a four year period of time.

A NO vote of this measure means:
A no vote is a vote not to approve the qualified special tax.

Impartial Analysis from the County Counsel
California law permits the Campbell Union School District to levy a special tax on each parcel of land within the district if the tax is approved by two-thirds of the voters voting in an election.

The Governing Board of the Campbell Union School District proposes levying a qualified special tax on each parcel within the district. The owners of each parcel in the district would pay $180 per year for a period of four years. The purposes of the tax are to (1) maintain experienced teachers; (2) prevent teacher layoffs; (3) maintain school libraries accessible to students; (4) preserve small class sizes; and (5) maintain academic programs including arts, music, and technology. None of the proceeds of the special tax would be used for administrative salaries.

Any residential owner, age 65 and over, may be exempt from the special tax upon annual approval of an application of the owner. In addition, any parcels that are contiguous, used solely for owner-occupied single family residential purposes, and held under single identical ownership may be treated as a single parcel for purposes of the special tax upon approval of an application of the owner.

If local, state, or federal funding to the district would be reduced because of the special tax, the amount of the special tax will be reduced so that the district will receive the maximum level of funding from local, state, and federal sources.

The proceeds of the special tax would be deposited into an account created by the district. No later than January 1 of each year while the tax is in effect, the district would prepare and file with the Board of Education a report detailing the amount of funds collected and spent and the status of any project authorized to be funded by this special tax.

If the special tax is approved, the district's appropriations limit would be increased by the amount equal to the special tax collected for each year the special tax is authorized.

A "yes" vote is a vote to approve a qualified special tax on parcels within the Campbell Union School District for a four year period of time.

A "no" vote is a vote not to approve the qualified special tax.

Ann Miller Ravel
County Counsel

By: Lisa Herrick
Deputy County Counsel

  Official Information

Election Results
from the Registrar of Voters

Do you live within this school district?
provided by the Registrar of Voters

Information about Campbell Union School District
(webpage) or 408-341-7211

CA State Laws - Gov't Code
click on "Gov't Code" and at the bottom of the page click on "Search". See especially sections 50075-50077.5 and sections 50079-50079.5
Supporters

Save Quality Education
Opponents

Libertarian Party of Santa Clara Co.
News and Analysis

The Campbell Reporter - April 16
"Enthusiastic kickoff event for Measure B campaign"

The Campbell Reporter - March 5
"CUSD approves parcel tax measure"
Suggest a link related to Measure B
Links to sources outside of Smart Voter are provided for information only and do not imply endorsement.

Arguments For Measure B Arguments Against Measure B
As the State drastically reduces funding for education, Campbell Union Elementary School District will be forced to make deep cuts. Without additional funding, the district will need to lay off over 35 teachers, increase class sizes in Kindergarten through third grade, reduce school library hours and make large cuts to art, music, technology and other academic programs.

Student achievement is high and rising. But these drastic cuts would have a direct and harmful impact on the quality of education in the classroom. Measure B is necessary to protect high quality education for local children.

Campbell Union Elementary School District faces a $3 million deficit over the next 18 months - not including projected losses from future state budget cuts. The district has already cut more than $1.24 million from its current budget for teacher training, operating costs and other non-classroom programs.

Measure B will expire in four years. Meanwhile, it will protect local children from the harmful effects of the state's budget shortfall. Measure B would:

  • Prevent teacher layoffs and keep and attract quality educators in the classroom

  • Preserve small class sizes

  • Maintain student access to school libraries

  • Continue funding for art, music and computer classes

Be assured that, by law, every dollar raised by Measure B will be used for our local schools and cannot be taken by the state.

Residents 65 years and older are eligible for exemption from this tax assessment.

Independent, public audits will be performed annually to ensure that Measure B funds are spent only for voter-approved purposes to maintain and improve the quality of education in our local classrooms.

Measure B will keep state budget problems from harming the quality of education in our local elementary and middle schools. Please join local parents, teachers and hundreds of your neighbors in voting YES on Measure B.

James T. Beall, Jr.
Santa Clara County Supervisor

Jim Cunneen
Former California State Assemblyman

Jenice Condie
Parent, Campbell Union Elementary School District

George P. Baker, Jr.
Retiree

Frances Teso
Nationally Certified Teacher,
Campbell Union Elementary School District

Rebuttal to Arguments For
You probably didn't know that the Campbell School District commissioned Evans/McDonough Company to determine the feasibility of passing a $180 per parcel tax increase. The survey is dated January 2003, document number: EMC#03-2772. Your tax dollars paid for it. It's a matter of public record. Request your copy: 408-341-7254. Be an informed voter.

Here's what they didn't tell you: The survey did NOT list Education as the number one crisis facing Santa Clara County.

  • Unemployment: 22%
  • Traffic / Congestion: 14%
  • EDUCATION FUNDING: 14%
  • The Economy: 13%
  • Housing Costs: 7%
  • QUALITY OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS: 6%

THIS SPECIAL ELECTION WAS PAID FOR BY THE DISTRICT. The survey shows that only 56% of the voters in the District would support a $180.00-per-parcel tax hike -- 10% short of two-thirds required for passage!

We believe that the real questions to be asked are:

"Why was extra money spent to hold a special election, when only 20% believe it is addressing the most important crisis?"

"Why is the District spending money for an election when it has evidence to show its tax won't pass?"

"Why are parcels partly outside the district taxed the full amount?"

"How many teachers' salaries would have been covered by the money for the survey and special election?"

This is a badly timed, poorly conceived, knee-jerk measure.

Demand prudent decision-making. Demand good law. Vote NO on Measure B

Ray Strong
Chair, Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County

George M. Swenson
President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association, Inc.

Dennis Umphress
Campaign Chair, Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County

Jack Davis
Pres. Santa Clara County Republican Assembly

Mark W. A. Hinkle
Past Chair, Libertarian Party of California

This measure places a new $16 MILLION parcel tax before the voters. With the local unemployment rate at 8.6%, now is the wrong time to heighten financial burdens on already struggling property owners and their tenants.

The state is facing a severe budget deficit. Schools will be receiving less money. Why is Campbell Union Elementary School District asking for a new special tax of $180.00 per parcel per year? This new tax will be on top of existing property taxes.

Money raised by this new tax may be withdrawn by the state as no longer needed. There's no requirement that any of it go to maintaining programs and services that might be cut because of reduced state funding for our schools. There's no requirement that most of it go to keep school libraries accessible to students or preserve small class sizes.

This money could be used to fund already funded programs. Then the original funds could be diverted to any spending, whatsoever, including administrative salaries.

This tax increase has been poorly thought out from start to finish. Why is the board trying to subject us all to higher taxes even after a $75 million bond Measure H passed in March 2002? Why the big rush to get this tax increase before the voters in a special election? This special election will cost the district between $210,000 and $294,000 - money that is lost from critical programs. The board hasn't fully considered whether budget cuts can be made to free up funds for the stated purposes. Families' budgets are being slashed throughout the district's homes-why not on this school board?

Vote for responsible, planned, effective education spending.

You can be FOR students, FOR schools, and AGAINST Measure B.

VOTE NO ON MEASURE B!

For more information please visit our website at
http://www.VoteNoOnB.org

Ray Strong
Chair, Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County

Dennis Umphress
Campaign Chair, Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County

Jack E. Davis
President, Santa Clara County C.R.A.

George M. Swenson
President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers' Association, Inc.

Mark W.A. Hinkle
Past Chair - Libertarian Party of California

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
Measure B is necessary to prevent serious budget cuts from harming the classroom education of children in our local elementary and middle schools. The people who filed the opposing argument have not looked closely at the issues and provided "facts" that are just plain wrong.

First, not one dollar raised by Measure B can be taken by the State. By law, every dollar raised can only be used by our local school district and cannot be diverted for other uses by State government. That is why many California districts are turning to local voters for help in surviving the state budget crisis.

Second, these funds will be used for voter-approved purposes: to prevent laying off well over 35 teachers, preserve small class sizes, maintain student access to school libraries and continue funding for art, music and computer classes. These are core academic programs that are critical for offering our local children a quality education...and these are the very programs threatened by the state budget crisis.

Vote Yes on Measure B. It will protect local students and neighborhood schools from the state budget crisis; it will expire in four years; and regular, public audits prove that the Campbell Union School District is fiscally prudent and provides excellent education for local students.

Those who filed the opposing argument are ill-informed. We hope that you will consider the true facts and then join us and other Campbell Union School District neighbors in extending a helping hand to the children in our local elementary and middle schools.

Jim Beall
Santa Clara County Supervisor

Jim Cunneen
Former California State Assemblyman

George P. Baker, Jr.
Retiree

Don Hebard
Chair, Citizen's Bond Oversight Committee

Suzanne Kent
Parent and Controller for Nonprofit Agency

Full Text of Measure B
"To keep experienced teachers, prevent teacher layoffs, keep school libraries accessible to students, preserve small class sizes, maintain academic programs including arts, music and technology, and provide local funding that cannot be taken by the State, shall Campbell Union School District be authorized to levy a special tax of $180.00 per parcel each year for 4 years, with an exemption for residential owners 65 and older, and shall the District's annual appropriations limit be revised by such amount?"

Pursuant to Section 50075.1(a) of the Government Code, the specific purposes of the special tax are to continue and maintain the following:

1. Maintain libraries accessible to students;

2. Maintain small class size;

3. Maintain experienced teachers;

4. Maintain current school programs.

Shall the Campbell Union School District be authorized to levy a special tax of $180.00 on each parcel within the District, each year for four (4) years?

Pursuant to Section 50075.1(b) of the Government Code, the proceeds of the special tax shall be applied only to the specific purposes identified above.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL ANY OF THE PROCEEDS OF THE TAX BE USED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SALARIES.

The purpose of this special tax is to maintain quality educational programs. Should local, state and federal funding be threatened by the implementation of the special tax, the amount of special tax collected shall be reduced so that the District will continue to receive the maximum level of funding from these primary sources.

The term "Parcel" shall mean any parcel of land, developed or undeveloped, wholly or partially located within the District, for which the County Assessor has assigned an assessor's identification number. However, any such parcels which are contiguous, used solely for owner-occupied single family residential purposes and held under identical ownership, may, upon approval of an application of the owners of such parcel, be treated as a single parcel for purposes of the special tax.

Pursuant to Section 50079(b) of the Government Code, any residential owner, 65 years of age or older, may be exempt from the special tax upon annual approval of an application of such owner submitted to this Board.

Pursuant to Section 50075.1(c) of the Government Code, the District shall create or cause to be created an account into which the proceeds of the special tax shall be deposited.

Pursuant to Section 50075.1(d) of the Government Code, the District shall file the annual reports required by Section 50075.3 of the Government Code.

Pursuant to California Constitution Article XIIIB, the appropriations limit for the Campbell Union School District shall be increased by the aggregate sum collected by the levy of the special tax in each of the years for which the special tax is authorized.


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Created: July 30, 2003 10:55 PDT
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