Bay Area voters face slew of tax, bond measures
Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle November 1, 2011 04:00 AM
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From Vallejo to Campbell, cash-strapped jurisdictions across the Bay Area will ask voters on Nov. 8 to rescue them from the financial abyss by passing bonds and tax measures.
In all, 24 cities, towns and school and special districts are turning to the voters for bailouts.
"Is it good public policy? No. But it's survival," said Fred Diaz, city manager of Fremont, one of the few Bay Area cities not asking for money this year. "Cities have no choice because the state's not doing its job. The whole system is dysfunctional."
Since the economic implosion of 2008, cities have seen their revenue plunge and employee retirement and health costs skyrocket. The result has been a slew of shuttered senior centers and swimming pools, weekly City Hall closures, dwindling police departments and, in extreme cases like Vallejo's, bankruptcy.
Feeling they have few options, cities are looking to voters for help. Some voters, such as those in Berkeley, have been extraordinarily generous in recent elections, approving everything their city asks of them, while others have been tighter with their wallets. The upshot is a wide disparity in city finances across the state, with some cities suffering greatly and others barely scathed.
But as the slow economy drags on, and the tide of tax measures never seems to ebb, voters might be losing their patience.
"We all have to re-evaluate our priorities, make do with less," said Lucy Tolmach of Woodside, who is among the lead opponents of Measure H, a school bond in San Mateo County. "We can't just keep passing bonds and going into debt. Look at Greece and Italy."
The bond comes on the heels of two previous construction bonds: $207 million in 2001 and $468 million in 2005, both of which voters passed. With Measure H, that's a total of $1.2 billion.
But the bonds are critical if the district wants to maintain its 1960s-era classrooms in an age when enrollment is soaring and state funding is withering, said board of trustees President Richard Holober.
"There's been a meltdown in education funding in California, from kindergarten to the college level," he said. "It's forced us to make some very tough choices. But we need this if we're going to finish upgrading our labs, classrooms, equipment."
Those opposed to Measure H say the district should be spending money on more teachers, not buildings.
"When you go to College of San Mateo, it literally looks like a country club," said Donna Bischoff, a student and community activist. "The new campus center looks like a Four Seasons Hotel."
The new buildings are well designed but far from lavish, Holober said.
And with additional space, the district can serve more students, especially necessary as hordes of laid-off workers head back to school for new job skills and tuition soars at four-year colleges, he said.
In Fairfax, the city is asking for a half-cent sales tax increase to bring in about $200,000 annually. It's not much, but without it, further layoffs and cutbacks are almost certain, said Mayor Larry Bragman.
"We're not in a sustainable financial position," he said. "Folks seem to be in denial about the financial problems we're having in this country and their impact on local government."
Fairfax, a picturesque town of 7,500 that's among Marin's poorest, has already cut back its employee retirement plan and staff salaries, as well as parks, public works and Police Department. It's sharing more services with neighboring towns and trying to spur development to raise money.
But some Fairfax residents are skeptical of the half-cent tax increase.
"We're not antitax," said Jory Prum, a Fairfax resident who is opposing Measure D. "What we want to see is more transparency and accountability from City Hall before they ask us for more money."
These hard times are not likely to last forever, but they might be prolonged unless voters are willing to open their wallets, Bragman said.
"If we all contribute a little, we'll get through this," he said.
In all, 24 cities, towns and school and special districts are turning to the voters for bailouts.
"Is it good public policy? No. But it's survival," said Fred Diaz, city manager of Fremont, one of the few Bay Area cities not asking for money this year. "Cities have no choice because the state's not doing its job. The whole system is dysfunctional."
Since the economic implosion of 2008, cities have seen their revenue plunge and employee retirement and health costs skyrocket. The result has been a slew of shuttered senior centers and swimming pools, weekly City Hall closures, dwindling police departments and, in extreme cases like Vallejo's, bankruptcy.
Feeling they have few options, cities are looking to voters for help. Some voters, such as those in Berkeley, have been extraordinarily generous in recent elections, approving everything their city asks of them, while others have been tighter with their wallets. The upshot is a wide disparity in city finances across the state, with some cities suffering greatly and others barely scathed.
But as the slow economy drags on, and the tide of tax measures never seems to ebb, voters might be losing their patience.
"We all have to re-evaluate our priorities, make do with less," said Lucy Tolmach of Woodside, who is among the lead opponents of Measure H, a school bond in San Mateo County. "We can't just keep passing bonds and going into debt. Look at Greece and Italy."
Big bond measure
Measure H is the grandaddy of all the revenue-raisers on the Nov. 8 ballot. The San Mateo County Community College District is asking voters for a $564 million bond to upgrade buildings at its three campuses: Cañada College in Redwood City, College of San Mateo in San Mateo, and Skyline College in San Bruno.The bond comes on the heels of two previous construction bonds: $207 million in 2001 and $468 million in 2005, both of which voters passed. With Measure H, that's a total of $1.2 billion.
But the bonds are critical if the district wants to maintain its 1960s-era classrooms in an age when enrollment is soaring and state funding is withering, said board of trustees President Richard Holober.
"There's been a meltdown in education funding in California, from kindergarten to the college level," he said. "It's forced us to make some very tough choices. But we need this if we're going to finish upgrading our labs, classrooms, equipment."
Those opposed to Measure H say the district should be spending money on more teachers, not buildings.
"When you go to College of San Mateo, it literally looks like a country club," said Donna Bischoff, a student and community activist. "The new campus center looks like a Four Seasons Hotel."
The new buildings are well designed but far from lavish, Holober said.
And with additional space, the district can serve more students, especially necessary as hordes of laid-off workers head back to school for new job skills and tuition soars at four-year colleges, he said.
Staying afloat
But most of the cities and school districts asking for money this fall aren't looking to expand. They're just hoping to stay afloat.In Fairfax, the city is asking for a half-cent sales tax increase to bring in about $200,000 annually. It's not much, but without it, further layoffs and cutbacks are almost certain, said Mayor Larry Bragman.
"We're not in a sustainable financial position," he said. "Folks seem to be in denial about the financial problems we're having in this country and their impact on local government."
Fairfax, a picturesque town of 7,500 that's among Marin's poorest, has already cut back its employee retirement plan and staff salaries, as well as parks, public works and Police Department. It's sharing more services with neighboring towns and trying to spur development to raise money.
But some Fairfax residents are skeptical of the half-cent tax increase.
"We're not antitax," said Jory Prum, a Fairfax resident who is opposing Measure D. "What we want to see is more transparency and accountability from City Hall before they ask us for more money."
These hard times are not likely to last forever, but they might be prolonged unless voters are willing to open their wallets, Bragman said.
"If we all contribute a little, we'll get through this," he said.
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