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San Mateo County, CA May 5, 2009 Election
Measure C
Parcel Tax
Woodside Elementary School District

2/3 Approval Required

Pass: 788 / 74.8% Yes votes ...... 266 / 25.2% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments |

To maintain and enhance academic excellence at Woodside School through emphasis on quality instruction, especially in math, science, reading and writing, attracting and retaining outstanding teachers, and maintaining small class sizes, shall Woodside Elementary School District continue its annual school tax of $242 per parcel for eight years, adjusted by changes in the Consumer Price Index, not to exceed 4 percent annually, to increase the District's appropriations limit accordingly, with exemption for those 65 years and older?

Impartial Analysis
The California Constitution and state law authorize a school district, upon approval of two-thirds of the voting electorate, to levy a qualified special tax for specified purposes.

In 2001, voters approfed a parcel tax in the Woodside School District which will expire in 2009. Each parcel is currently taxed at a rate of $233 per parcel.

By this measure, the Board of Trustees of the Woodside School District proposes to levy a special tax for a period of eight years beginning July 1, 2009 and ending June 30, 2017. This tax shall be at a rate of $242 per year per parcel on al taxable parcels in the District. The new parcel tax would be adjusted annually for inflation by the Consumer Price Index for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose Metropolitan Area, up to a limit of 4% per year.

A parcel shall be defined as any unit of real property in the District which receives a separate tax bill for ad valorem property taxes from the San Mateo County tax collection officials, except that only one tax will be assessed to owners whose property include one or more contiguous parcels. Any property owner aged 65 years or older may qualify for an exemption from the special tax if that property owners occupies the parcel. All property which would otherwise be exempt from ad valorem property taxes will also be exempt from the imposition of the tax.

The stated purposes of the special tax are to: maintain and improve academic standards and educational programs; provide small class sizes; and retain teachers.

The proceeds of the special tax will be placed into a special account. An independent citizens' oversight committee will be established to monitor the expenditures of the parcel tax revenues. An annual report is required that accounts for the parcel tax revenues collected and the manner in which they have been spent.

A "yes" vote on this measure would allow a special tax to be levied on property within the boundaries of the Woodside School District for a period of eight years beginning July 1, 2009 and ending June 30, 2017 in the amount of $242 a year per taxable parcel. The special tax would be adjusted annually for inflation by the Consumer Price Index for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose Metropolitan Area, up to a limit of 4% per year. The special tax would be used to: maintain and improve academic standards and educational programs; provide small class sizes; and retain teachers.

A "no" vote on this measure would not allow the special tax to be levied.

This measure passes if two-thirds of those voting on the measure vote "yes."

 
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Arguments For Measure C Arguments Against Measure C
For over 100 years, the Woodside Community has placed a high value on the public education provided at the Woodside School. The Woodside School is one of California's best schools as evidenced by student test scores and local property values.

In 2001, the voters approved a parcel tax to help fund Woodside School's educational programs. Now, eight years later, the district is asking voters to continue the existing $242 parcel tax with a modest cost of living increase not to exceed 4% annually.

We support this renewal of school funding and urge you to join us in voting YES on Measure C.

Prior to asking for this renewal, the Woodside Elementary School District engaged in an extensive evaluation of the entire school budget. Budget cuts have been made. There are no frills in the budget.

To maintain high academic standards and prevent drastic cuts to school programs, the parcel tax funds are essential. Parcel tax funds are controlled locally, cannot be taken by the State, and won't be used for administrative salaries.

Measure C will:

  • maintain instruction in math and science

  • maintain instruction in reading and writing

  • attract and retain quality teachers

  • maintain small class sizes throughout all grades

Funding in these areas will maintain academic excellence and help protect Woodside property values.

Residents 65 and older qualify for an exemption from the parcel tax. If you currently receive an exemption, you'll automatically be exempted again. Residents 65 and older who are not yet exempt may file an exemption with the school district.

Our community has a shared investment in the Woodside School. Whether you have children in the school or not, we must protect our community school from devastating state budget cuts to public education.

Please join us and continue supporting the Woodside School - YES on Measure C.

Rebuttal to Arguments For
For more than 15 years, the Woodside community has paid parcel taxes the school never needed in the first place.

In 1993, parcel tax proponents wrote: "Because our school district has been inadequately funded by the State Legislature ... the District is in danger of eliminating many programs of study ... Without this measure, the District projects deficits starting in 1993-94."

But they couldn't have been more wrong. Non-parcel tax revenue in 1993-94 surged 57% and subsequent growth far outstripped inflation. Let's look at revenue, per student attending:*


YEAR WITHOUT PARCEL TAX WITH PARCEL TAX

1992-93 $5,395 $5,629 1993-94 8,611 9,069

-95 6,590 7,004
-96 6,257 6,667
-97 6,624 7,075
-98 6,965 7,389
-99 8,267 8,716

2000 8,885 9,340
2001 10,724 11,201
2002 14,051 14,545
2003 12,158 12,672
2004 12,671 13,220
2005 13,695 14,249
2006 14,818 15,383
2007 15,373 15,933

No Frills in the Budget?

during this period, revenue per student grew from 142% of the state average to 182%.

Homeowners have been paying for frills. If the students haven't been getting them, an investigation is indicated - not another parcel tax.

  • Yes, things are tough all over, --- but not equally.

  • Businesses are hurting worst of all, and face the greatest financial uncertainty; depending on (falling) consumer spending for income, and vulernable to rising taxes that erode their ability to stay afloat.

Homeowners and renters are in the same position.

  • Government budget makers are comparatively fortunate regarding income. Taxes are not optional! (And any declines are secondary to someone else's greater misfortune.)

  • Among government agencies, Schools sit at the top of the food chain. Their primary source of revenue is property taxes --- the most stable of all revenue streams.

Normally, regular property taxes on most parcels automatically increase 2% each year (with no voter approval required), and taxes on properties that change hands typically increase by much greater amounts. Total property tax assessments in San Mateo County have increased steadily under this formula. Growth rates in the last 10 years were 8.2%, 7.7%, 8.7%, 7.4%, 4.7%, 5.7%, 12.6%, 10.3%, and 8.9%*

Moreover, Prop 98 guarantees schools the lion's share of state general fund spending, filling school coffers further.**

  • It is shameful, and unfair, for schools to seek higher property taxes, kicking the less fortunate when they're down.

  • Government officials who care about the people should be struggling to find ways to reduce the cost-of-living at this time; not increase taxes to feather their own nests.

Today it is up to the voters to do the right thing. Please vote "no". Thank you.

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
A Redwood City resident signed the ballot argument against our Measure C. He doesn't know the needs of Woodside schools and he submitted the exact same argument against every school-related measure in San Mateo County. His statements are inaccurate and his figures deliberately misleading.

The facts in Woodside are:

The cost of providing a quality education has outpaced state funding year after year. The Woodside School needs a stable, local source of funding to maintain its high level of academic performance.

Measure C provides these local funds in a time of extreme uncertainty and looming budget cuts for local schools. Measure C will provide funds for:

  • maintain instruction in math and science

  • maintain instruction in reading and writing

  • attract and retain quality teachers

  • maintain small class sizes throughout all grades

Measure C is a renewal of the funding that Woodside Elementary School District voters approved and invested in the school district for the past 8 years. In return, all residents benefit from this community asset and the positive impact on our property values.

If Measure C is not approved, the existing measure will expire and the school will have to make extremely difficult cuts in addition to any cuts caused by the mess in Sacramento.

Residents 65 and older can file for an exemption and existing exemptions will be automatically extended.

Measure C is tax deductible.

Please join Woodside residents, Woodside homeowners, Woodside parents, Woodside non-parents, and Woodside business people in voting YES on Measure C for the Woodside School.

signed:

Ron Romines, Town Council Member, Town of Woodside

Cindy Goldberg, President, Woodside School PTA

Kent Putnam, owner, Putnam Car Dealerships

Sonja Davidow, History Committee Member, Town of Woodside

Steve Patrick, former Planning Commissioner, Town of Woodside


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Created: July 31, 2009 13:01 PDT
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