California Proposition 16, Bonds for County Jails (1984)
Election results
| California Proposition 16, Bonds for County Jails (1984) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 2,906,093 | 58.8% | ||
| No | 2,036,736 | 41.2% | ||
Proposition 16 provided $250 million for "the construction, reconstruction, remodeling, and replacement of county jails and the performance of deferred maintenance thereon."
Fiscal impact
The fiscal estimate provided by the California Legislative Analyst's Office said:
1. Cost of Paying Off the Bonds
The general obligation bonds authorized by this measure would be paid off over a period of up to 20 years. Under current law the state can sell bonds at any interest rate up to 11 percent.
Given current market conditions, the bonds probably would be sold at an interest rate of about 9 percent. If the full $250 million in general obligation bonds were sold at a 9-percent interest rate and paid off over a 20-year period, the interest cost to the state would be approximately $236 million. This cost would be more or less if the bonds were sold at interest rates above or below 9 percent. The cost of paying off the bonds would be paid from the State General Fund, using revenues received in future years.
2. Other Fiscal Effects
Generally, increased borrowing tends to increase interest costs. The state and local governments could incur higher costs under other bond-finance programs if the bond sales authorized by the measure result in a higher overall interest rate on state and local bonds. These additional costs cannot be estimated.
The interest paid by the state on these bonds would be exempt from the state personal income tax. Therefore, to the extent that the bonds would be purchased by California taxpayers in lieu of taxable investments, the state would experience a loss of income tax revenue. It is not possible, however, to estimate what this revenue loss would be.
Path to the ballot
The California State Legislature voted to put Proposition 16 on the ballot via Senate Bill 310 (Statutes of 1984, Ch. 4).
External links
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