This is an archive of a past election.
See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/cc/ for current information.
LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund If you appreciate our service to voters, please consider helping us with a donation.
Smart Voter
Contra Costa County, CA August 25, 2009 Election
Measure E
Bond Measure
Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District

Bond Measure - 2/3 Approval Required

See Also: Index of all Measures

Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Tax Rate Statement | Full Text

To provide safe parks and recreational facilities for children, families and seniors in Pleasant Hill by upgrading or replacing the Teen Center that keeps youth away from gangs and drugs; the outdated and undersized Senior Center; the deteriorating Community Center; and aging sports fields, restrooms and other facilities at parks throughout our community, shall the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District issue $28 million in bonds, with independent citizen oversight, no money for administrator salaries and all funds staying local?

Impartial Analysis from County Counsel
The governing board of the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District has adopted a resolution proposing that the District incur bonded indebtedness.

The ballot measure would authorize the District to issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed twenty-eight million dollars ($28,000,000). The ballot measure states that the money raised by the sale of the bonds would be used to "provide safe parks and recreational facilities for children, families and seniors in Pleasant Hill by upgrading or replacing the Teen Center that keeps youth away from gangs and drugs; the outdated and undersized Senior Center; the deteriorating Community Center; and aging sports fields, restrooms and other facilities at parks throughout [the] community." The money raised would only be used for specified projects and not for any other purpose, including not for staff and administrator salaries and other operating expenses.

In exchange for money received from a holder of the bonds, the District will promise to pay to the holder interest for a certain period of time and to repay the principal on the expiration date. The bonds would bear interest payable at a rate that does not exceed the legal limit, which is currently 12 percent per year. The time of maturity of the bonds will not exceed 30 years from the date of the bonds.

Proceeds from the sale of the bonds will be deposited into a District account that will be kept separate from other District accounts. As long as any proceeds of bond sales remain unexpended, an annual independent audit report will be prepared stating the amount of bond proceeds received and expended in the year and the status of any projects funded or to be funded from the proceeds of bond sales. Additionally, an independent community oversight committee appointed by the District Board will monitor expenditures.

General obligation bonds pledge a local agency's taxing power as security for payment of principal and interest to bond holders. The tax rate statement for this measure reflects the District's best estimates, based upon currently available data and projections, of the property tax rates required to service the bonds. The estimated tax rate required to be levied to fund the bonds in the first fiscal year (2010-2011) after the sale of the bonds is $29 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. The estimated average tax rate required to be levied to fund the bonds over all the years the bonds are expected to be outstanding is $21 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. The estimated highest tax rate required to be levied to fund the bonds is $29 per $100,000 of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2014-15, and decreasing every year after that.

Two-thirds of those voting on the measure must approve the measure in order for it to pass.

A "yes" vote is in favor of authorizing the bonded indebtedness.

A "no" vote is against authorizing the bonded indebtedness.

  Official Information

Pleasant Hill Parks & Recreation Department web page
This election is archived. Any links to sources outside of Smart Voter may no longer be active. No further links will be added to this page.
Links to sources outside of Smart Voter are provided for information only and do not imply endorsement.

Arguments For Measure E Arguments Against Measure E
For over 57 years, children, families and seniors have used many parks and community facilities within the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District. Despite ongoing maintenance, our facilities need to be upgraded.

The Teen Center provides after-school programs that keep local youth away from gangs, drugs and crime. It is too small and outdated. Aging electrical systems cannot support computers and educational technology. Plumbing and restrooms are deteriorating. Windows, heating and ventilations systems are inefficient and costly.

The Senior Center is over 50 years old and too small to serve our growing senior population. The building foundation is deteriorating and uneven floors create safety concerns.

The Community Center is almost 40 years old. The wood structure and support beams are rotting. The building does not meet earthquake safety standards and is not accessible by people with disabilities.

Pleasant Oaks Park needs additional soccer and baseball fields for local youth. The turf needs to be replaced and 40-year old irrigation systems need repairs.

Measure E is the result of years of planning and community input. It will fund the most urgent upgrades, by:

 Providing a safe, modern and expanded Teen Center, Community Center and Senior Center

 Making facilities environmentally energy-efficient and reducing energy costs

 Improving public restrooms at parks and facilities throughout Pleasant Hill

 Providing soccer and baseball fields for local youth

Measure E provides taxpayer protections and requires strict accountability:

 No money can be taken away by Sacramento  Local dollars will stay local  No funds can be used for administrator salaries  The cost is deductible on State and Federal taxes  Independent citizens' oversight ensures proper fund expenditures  Annual audits will be mandatory

The last time Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District asked the community to support a bond measure was 41 years ago. The repair of our parks and community facilities is long overdue.

Please vote Yes.

Kelly McBee, Associated Student Body President of College Park High School

Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce, Charley Daly, Chief Executive Officer

Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District, Board of Directors, Dennis Donaghu, Chair

Michael G. Harris, Mayor, City of Pleasant Hill

Leo Vardas, President, Pleasant Hill Senior Center

None filed.

Tax Rate Statement
An election will be held in the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District (the "District") on August 25, 2009, to authorize the sale of not to exceed $28,000,000 in bonds of the District to finance facilities as described in the ballot measure. If the bonds are approved, the District expects to sell the bonds in three series (but may issue the bonds in more than or fewer than three series). Principal and interest on the bonds will be payable from the proceeds of tax levies made upon the taxable property in the District. The following information is provided in compliance with sections 9400-9404 of the California Elections Code:

1. The best estimate of the tax rate that would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing this statement, is $29 per $100,000 of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2010-11.

2. The District's best estimate of the average tax rate that would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue over all of the years the bonds are expected to be outstanding is $21 per $100,000 of assessed valuation.

3. The best estimate of the highest tax rate that would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing this statement, is $29 per $100,000 of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2014-15, decreasing each year thereafter.

Voters should note that the estimated tax rates are based on the assessed value of taxable property on the Contra Costa County official tax rolls, not on the market value of property. 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 on 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 the sale of the bonds, the amount of bonds sold and market interest rates at the time of the sale, and actual assessed valuations over the term of repayment of the bonds.

The date of sale and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the District based on the need for construction funds and other factors, including the legal limitations approved by a 2/3 vote. The actual interest rates at which the bonds will be sold will depend on the bond market at the time of each bond sale, among other factors. Actual future assessed valuation will depend on the amount and value of taxable property within the District as determined by the Contra Costa County Assessor in the annual assessment and the equalization process.

Dated: May 26, 2009

Dennis Donaghu, Chair, Board of Directors Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District

Full Text of Measure E
The following is the full ballot text of the measure to be presented to the voters by Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District in the ballot pamphlet:

To provide safe parks and recreational facilities for children, families and seniors in Pleasant Hill by upgrading or replacing the Teen Center that keeps youth away from gangs and drugs; the outdated and undersized Senior Center; the deteriorating Community Center; and aging sports fields, restrooms and other facilities at parks throughout our community, shall the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District issue $28 million in bonds, with independent citizen oversight, no money for administrator salaries and all funds staying local?

Purpose of the Bonds. For over 57 years, the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District has provided educational and recreational programs for children, youth, seniors, and the community. However, after decades of use, local parks and recreational facilities are deteriorating and need to be repaired, renovated or replaced. The cost to renovate and replace these facilities is beyond the scope of the District's operating budget. The last time the District placed a bond measure on the ballot was 41 years ago in 1968. This bond will provide funding to upgrade, enhance, improve, expand, renovate, build, equip or replace parks and recreation facilities in the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District.

Special Bond Account and Mandatory Annual Audits. A separate account shall be established for deposit of proceeds of the sale of the Bonds. This account shall be audited annually and a report shall be made detailing (1) the amount of Bond proceeds received and expended in such fiscal year and (2) the status of any projects funded or to be funded from the proceeds of Bonds authorized to be issued by this measure.

No Money For Administrators' Salaries. Proceeds from the sale of the Bonds authorized by this proposition shall be used only for costs incurred in connection with funding of the Project and the cost of the issuance of the Bonds, and not for any other purpose, including staff and administrator salaries and other operating expenses.

Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee. The Board shall establish an independent citizens' oversight committee to ensure Bond proceeds are expended only for the Projects authorized by the ballot measure. The committee shall be established within 90 days after the election.

All funds stay local for the benefit of Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District Facilities. All bond proceeds shall be used to improve facilities within the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District for the benefit of the local community. No funds may be taken away by the state government, federal government, or other agencies.


Contra Costa Home Page || Statewide Links || About Smart Voter || Feedback
Created: September 30, 2009 16:25 PDT
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://www.lwvc.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.