3,817 / 68.4% Yes votes ...... 1,764 / 31.6% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

a) The specific purpose of the bonds is to receive State matching funds, relieve overcrowding, improve local school facilities, provide alternative facilities for students struggling in school, and to replace deteriorated portables with permanent classrooms, renovate aging restrooms, roofs, plumbing, heating/cooling, lighting, electrical and technology systems, and renovate, acquire and/or construct school classrooms, sites, and other facilities;

b) The proceeds from the sale of the District's bonds will be used only for the purposes specified in the Measure, and not for any other purpose;

c) The proceeds of the Bonds will be deposited into a Building Fund to be held by the Alameda County Treasurer, as required by the California Education Code; and

d) The Superintendent of the District shall file an annual report with the Board of Education of the District, commencing not later than November 1, 2004, and annually thereafter, which report shall contain pertinent information regarding the amount of funds collected and expended, as well as the status of the projects listed in the Measure.

The County Counsel's Impartial Analysis of Measure A as printed in the Sample Ballot for the November 4, 2003 Consolidated District Election is in error. Please refer to the revised Analysis shown here and enclosed in the replacement Sample Ballot.

REVISED

Measure A, a New Haven Unified School District ("District") bond measure, seeks voter approval to authorize the District to issue and sell general obligation bonds in multiple series over time at an aggregate principal amount not to exceed One Hundred Twenty Million Dollars ($120,000,000). These bonds shall bear interest at a rate not exceeding eight percent (8%) per annum. The purpose of the bonds is to finance the District projects and purposes set forth in the ballot measure and to qualify for state matching grants for school construction projects.

Section 1(b) of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution provides an exception to the one percent property tax limit by allowing special districts to increase the property tax rate above one percent to pay off bonded indebtedness only for the purchase or improvement of real property.

If 66 2/3% of the qualified electors voting on this measure vote for approval, the District will be authorized to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $120 million. The Education Code provides that the number of years the whole or any part of the bonds are to run shall not exceed forty (40) years from the date of the bonds or the date of any series thereof.

Approval of this measure would authorize the District to levy an ad valorem tax on the assessed value of real property within the District by an amount needed to pay the principal and interest on these bonds. The estimate of the tax rate required to be levied to fund the bonds in each year throughout the term of authorization would range between 0.0015 cents per 100 dollars of assessed valuation ($1.50 per $100,000) and 0.1139 cents per 100 dollars of assessed valuation ($113.90 per $100,000), as set forth more fully in the measure's Tax Rate Statement in this Voter Pamphlet. The Tax Rate Statement for Measure A in this voter pamphlet reflects the District's best estimates, based upon currently available data and projections, of the property tax rates required to service the bonds in the first year in which taxes are expected to be levied to pay debt service on the bonds, the year in which the tax is expected to be highest, and the year following the last expected issuance of bonds, all as required by statute. If 66 2/3% of the qualified electors voting on this measure do not vote for approval, the measure will fail and the District would not be authorized to issue the bonds to fund facilities improvements.
s/RICHARD E. WINNIE County Counsel of Alameda County

October 26, 2003

Measure could be tough sell Backers face challenge in getting voters to approve repair bond

October 21, 2003

Sample ballot flawed

October 21, 2003

Bond needs two-thirds approval Measure A held to higher standard, requiring more than 55 percent of vote

Yes for Kids

Advocates for Measure A, the New Haven Unified School District bond

New Haven Unified School District Web Site

Your YES vote means we can preserve and enhance all schools in the New Haven Unified School District (NHUSD) to make them better and safer for our children.

A YES vote on Measure A will not raise your taxes. It simply will extend the current property tax rate. An analysis by a noted financial advisory firm, Kelling, Northcross & Norbriga, confirmed that this district bond issue would not require a tax increase. In fact, earlier this year the district saved the taxpayers of NHUSD almost eight million dollars by refinancing our existing bonds.

A YES vote on Measure A will:

Assure that 20 million dollars in matching state bond monies (monies that will go elsewhere if a bond is not passed) will come to our community to support our schools

Reduce the serious and unsafe overcrowding at Logan High School

Provide much needed educational spaces for students who are struggling in school

Ensure renovation of elementary, middle and high schools and other district facilities, and

Maintain equitable facilities for all school children in our neighborhoods.

This bond guarantees that a Bond Oversight Committee, made up of local citizens, will be formed to monitor and ensure the proper use of bond proceeds and regularly report to the community.

Passing this bond is crucial for the future of our children. Teachers, parents, district staff, community members, and business leaders enthusiastically support Measure A. They understand that as a result of this bond we will have enhanced schools, increased property values, and a stronger community.

Please join us in voting YES on Measure A.
s/DENISE MAYFIELD, Co-Chair Yes for Kids
s/JENNIFER STRINGER, Co-Chair Yes for Kids
s/MARK GREEN, Mayor, Union City
s/IRENE WOLFE, Chair, Senior Commission
s/NEW HAVEN TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
s/By Don Heinsohn, President

(No arguments against Measure A were submitted)

The following information is provided in compliance with Sections 9400-9404 of the Elections Code of the State of California.

1. The best estimate of the tax which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the first series of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $0.0015 cents per $100 ($1.50 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2004-05.

2. The best estimate of the tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the last series of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $0.0150 cents per $100 ($15.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2009-2010.
3. The best estimate of the highest tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $0.1139 cents per $100 ($113.90 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2024/25.

Voters should note that the estimated tax rates are based on the ASSESSED VALUE of taxable property on the County's official tax rolls, <u>not </u> on the property's market value.

Property owners should consult their own property tax bills to determine their property's assessed value and any applicable tax exemptions.

Attention of all voters is directed to the fact that the foregoing information is based upon the District's projections and estimates only, which are not binding upon the District.

The actual tax rates and the years in which they will apply may vary from those presently estimated, due to variations from these estimates in the timing of bond sales, the amount of bonds sold and market interest rates at the time of each sale, and actual assessed valuations over the term of repayment of the bonds. The dates of sale and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the District based on need for construction funds and other factors. The actual interest rates at which the bonds will be sold will depend on the bond market at the time of each sale. Actual future assessed valuation will depend upon the amount and value of taxable property within the District as determined by the County Assessor in the annual assessment and the equalization process.

Dated: August 8, 2003
s/SUSAN SPEAKMAN, Interim Superintendent New Haven Unified School District