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Riverside County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
Measure W
School Improvement Funding
Alvord Unified School District

School Bonds - 55% Approval Required

Pass: 14,100 / 63.59% Yes votes ...... 8,074 / 36.41% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of November 26 3:17pm, 100.00%% of Precincts Reporting (45/45)
Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Tax Rate Statement |

To fund classroom/school renovation/construction including vocational education facilities, heating/air-conditioning, science labs, computer/technology access; and finance voter-approved educational projects, shall $79,000,000 of Alvord Unified School District bonds, approved by voters in November 2007, be reauthorized through issuance of new bonds, with no increase in total authorized District debt, interest rates below legal limits, independent citizen oversight, no money for administrator salaries, and all funds spent locally and not taken by the State?

Impartial Analysis from Sunshine S. Sykes, Deputy County Counsel
The Board of Education ("Board") of the Alvord Unified School District ("District") by adopting Resolution No. 4 ("Resolution"), elected to call an election pursuant to Section 1 paragraph (b) subsection (3) of Article XIII A of the California Constitution and Section 15264 et seq. of the California Education Code to obtain authorization to issue and sell general obligations bonds ("Bonds") in the aggregate principal amount of $79,000,000.

District voters previously approved a local school bond measure at a regularly scheduled election held in the District on November 6, 2007 ("Measure H"). Measure "H" allowed an ad valorem tax to be levied and collected on property within the boundaries of the District to pay the principal and interest on those bonds. The District estimates that it will be unable to issue any additional series of unissued Measure "H" bonds. This current Measure would issue Bonds in the amount equal to a portion of the unissued Measure "H" bonds. The District has covenanted that it will take action to cancel a like aggregate principal amount of Measure "H" bonds, thereby not increasing the total authorized District debt.

The Bonds would be used by the District to complete the educational projects approved by District voters under Measure "H", including the payment of the 2010 bond anticipation notes which financed certain Measure "H" projects, through the acquisition and improvement of real property and the furnishing, building, and equipping of school facilities.

The Bonds would not be used to increase salaries, benefits, or pensions for administrators, teachers, or any other school employees.

An ad valorem tax would be levied and collected on property within the boundaries of the District to pay the principal and interest on the Bonds.

The Bonds would bear interest at an annual rate not to exceed the legal maximum payable. The Bonds could be sold in several series and would mature no later than forty (40) years following their issuance.

For this Measure to be approved fifty-five percent (55%) of qualified voters who vote on the Measure must vote yes.

A "YES" vote on Measure "W" is a vote to allow the District to sell the Bonds and levy the necessary taxes to pay for the Bonds.

A "NO" vote on Measure "W" is a vote against allowing the District to sell the Bonds and levy the necessary taxes to pay for the Bonds.

 
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Arguments For Measure W Arguments Against Measure W
In November 2007, Alvord Unified School District voters overwhelmingly passed a general obligation bond to improve our community's schools.

Since that time, tremendous improvements have been made in repairing and rehabilitating our children's schools and classrooms.

But much remains to be done. Measure "W" will reauthorize $79 million of the previously approved 2007 bonds. By voting YES on Measure "W", we can finish the job of improving our local public schools while at the same time SAVING MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS. Here's how:

Measure "W" makes financial sense and has taxpayer protections in place:

  • Reauthorizing the 2007 bonds will allow the District to borrow at much lower interest rate, saving taxpayers millions of dollars in interest.
  • Iron-clad restrictions that money can only be spent on improving Alvord's schools. No funds can be spent on administrator salaries, pensions, or benefits.
  • The reauthorized bonds will NOT cause any increase in total District debt.
  • Required annual review of all expenditures by an independent citizens' oversight committee.
  • Legally required annual audits.
  • All Measure "W" funds MUST be used to improve our children's schools and CANNOT BE TAKEN AWAY BY THE STATE AND SPENT ELSEWHERE!

Measure "W" will let Alvord USD continue the job of fixing our schools by:
  • Expanding District vocational education programs/facilities including welding, automotive technology, medical and health technology, and construction trades.
  • Upgrading and replacing outdated heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
  • Upgrading classrooms with up-to-date technology.
  • Upgrading science labs.
  • Repairing and replacing leaky roofs.

Our local schools are our most important asset and should be our number one priority. Measure "W" will improve our community's schools, help improve housing values, stimulate our local economy and save taxpayers millions of dollars in interest.

Please join us by voting YES on Measure "W"!

By: Jose Luis Perez, Board President

Art Kaspereen, Jr., Board Vice President

Greg Kraft, Board Clerk

Carolyn Wilson, Board Member

Ben Johnson II, Alvord Board Member

Rebuttal to Arguments For
Vote NO on Measure "W".

A yes vote on Measure "W" is a vote to DOUBLE school property taxes.

  • The Alvord Board members state that Measure "W" " ...will NOT cause any increase in total authorized District debt." They fail to state that you, the taxpayer, will incur a school debt DOUBLE of what we now pay. We are currently paying $60 per $100,000.00 of our home value; this Measure will add ANOTHER $51 per $100,000.00 for a total of $111.00 per $100,000.00 of our property value.
  • They state the money (Bond) is spent locally; this is not true. The contractors, engineers, and architects are all located outside of Riverside County. Our money is not spent with Riverside businesses.

Currently we owe over a half BILLION dollars on the 2007 Bond Measure. We cannot afford new borrowing.

If Measure "W" fails, our schools WILL NOT FAIL. We will avoid doubling our property taxes for our schools and it may allow fiscal experts to be a part of our district to improve our schools.

A NO vote on Measure "W" is:

  • A win for our taxpayers
  • A win for our schools
  • A win for our students

Vote NO on Measure "W"...Vote NO on DOUBLING taxes.

By: Mike McKelroy, USMC MSGT RET

Lainey Nail

Irene Estrada, Former Committee member - Alvord Citizens Oversight Committee

Attention Taxpayers and Renters: Alvord Unified School District ("Alvord") has mismanaged its finances, and we now have a FINANCIAL CRISIS.

1. Our Community owes over .5 BILLION DOLLARS for Alvord's bonds sold to date. We cannot afford any more bonds!

2. Alvord will EXCEED its DEBT LIMIT set forth by the Constitution if this bond measure passes. It may be illegal for Alvord to sell additional bonds of $79 million!

3. Your tax rates will increase from about $60 per $100,000 to approximately $120 per $100,000 of property values (double of current).

An increase in tax rates WILL increase your property tax, may increase rents, and may cause businesses to move out of the area.

4. Alvord has not disclosed the total cost of Measure "W".

Save our Community from further financial harm! Make Alvord Unified School District ACCOUNTABLE for its finances and to work within its budget.

VOTE NO!!!

By: Mike McKelroy,
Taxpayers Against Alvord School District Measure "W"

Lainey Nail

Robert L. Treen

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
The facts are the facts.

  • Measure "W" will SAVE taxpayers MILLIONS of dollars in interest. Period.
  • Measure "W" will let us continue the job of improving our local schools.
  • Measure "W" will create new construction jobs to help our community.
  • Measure "W" will NOT increase total District debt by one penny.
  • Measure "W" money can only be spent on our community's schools and can't be used to fund administrative salaries, benefits or pensions.
  • Measure "W" funds must, BY LAW, be used to improve our LOCAL SCHOOLS and cannot be taken by the State and spent elsewhere.

By reauthorizing $79 million of bonds that WERE ALREADY APPROVED by YOU, the voters, in 2007, we can ensure that we get the best deal possible at the lowest price.

Remember, these are OUR COMMUNITY'S SCHOOLS. They benefit everyone and are a resource that we must protect. But the benefits of strong public schools go beyond just education.

Strong schools help protect housing values, create a stronger local economy and lead to safer neighborhoods.

So what's more important to you? Wasting millions of dollars on interest? Or saving that money and improving our community's schools?

Join us. Vote YES on Measure "W"!

By: Jose Luis Perez, Board President

Art Kaspereen Jr., Board Vice President

Getty George, III

Ben Johnson II, Board Member

Carolyn M. Wilson, Board Member

Tax Rate Statement from Herb Calderon, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, Alvord Unified School District
An election will be held in Alvord Unified School District (the "District") on November 6, 2012 to reauthorize the sale of $79,000,000 in general obligation bonds, previously approved by voters in November 2007 through the issuance of new bonds. The following information is submitted in compliance with Sections 9400-9404 of the California Elections Code.

1. The best estimate of the tax rate that would be required 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 $.05128 per $100 ($51.28 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2013-14.

2. The best estimate of the tax rate that would be required 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 $.05128 per $100 ($51.28 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2013-14.

3. The best estimate of the highest tax rate that would be required to fund this bond issue, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing this statement, is $.05128 per $100 ($51.28 per $100,000) of assessed valuation.

4. The best estimate of the average tax rate that would be required to fund this bond issue, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing this statement, is $.05128 per $100 ($51.28 per $100,000) of assessed valuation.

These estimates are based on projections derived from information obtained from official sources. The actual tax rates and the years in which they will apply may vary depending on the timing of bond sales, the amount of bonds sold at each sale and actual increases in assessed valuations. The timing of the bond sales and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the needs of the District. Actual assessed valuations will depend upon the amount and value of taxable property within the District as determined in the assessment and the equalization process.

Dated July 25, 2012


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Created: December 17, 2012 13:45 PST
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