Atascadero Unified School District Bond Re-authorization, Measure B (November 2014)

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An Atascadero Unified School District Bond Re-authorization, Measure B ballot question was on the November 4, 2014 election ballot for voters in the Atascadero Unified School District in San Luis Obispo County, California. It was approved.

Measure B authorized the district to increase its debt by $58 million through issuing general obligation bonds in that amount. District officials estimated that an additional annual property tax of $60 per $100,000 of assessed property value would be required to repay these bonds.

The district requested these bonds to replace the bond issue authorized by voters in 2010 under the name Measure I. Measure I authorized the district to issue up to $117 million in bonds. The district, however, only issued $25.5 million. According to the county counsel, "due to the decline in the housing market and reduction in the assessed value of property, the District is now prevented from issuing the additional $91,500,000 of the unissued bonds because the tax rate projections required by Measure I-10 cannot be realized." Thus, the district proposed Measure B as a sort of re-authorization of 2010 bonds, claiming they will petition for a cancellation of Measure I bonds approved in 2010.

According to the Measure B project list:

“

Bond proceeds will be expended to modernize, replace, renovate, construct, acquire, equip, rebuild and furnish the District’s classrooms, restrooms, and facilities including but not limited to those located at:

”

• Atascadero High
• Atascadero Junior High
• Carrisa Plains Elementary
• Creston Elementary
• Del Rio Continuation High School
• Fine Arts Academy
• Monterey Road Elementary
• San Benito Elementary
• San Gabriel Elementary
• Santa Margarita Elementary
• Santa Rosa Road Academic Academy
• West Mall Alternative

A 55 percent supermajority vote was required for the approval of Measure B.

Election results

Atascadero Unified School District, Measure B
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		7,102	61.67%
No		4,415	38.33%

Election results via: San Luis Obispo County Registrar of Voters

Text of measure

Ballot question

The question on the ballot:

“

To continue the work of Measure I-10 by modernizing and expanding vocational education facilities, repairing aging schools throughout the District, improving student computer access, and constructing a high school science, technology, engineering and mathematics facility, shall $58 million of Atascadero Unified School District bonds, previously approved in November 2010, be reauthorized through issuance of new bonds with interest rates below legal limits, independent citizens oversight, no money for administrator salaries and no increase in total authorized District debt?

”

Impartial analysis

The following impartial analysis was prepared for Measure B:

“	This measure will determine whether the Atascadero Unified School District (“the District”) will issue $58 million in bonds for the purpose of improving school and education facilities within the District. The measure, placed on the ballot by the District’s Board of Trustees, will become effective only if 55% of the voters vote “Yes” on the measure. On November 7, 2000, the voters of California passed “Proposition 39," amending Article XIIIA, section 1(b)(3) of the California Constitution. That amendment authorizes the District to incur bonded indebtedness for financing the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of school facilities, in accordance with certain accountability requirements. To implement the requirements of Proposition 39, the Legislature enacted the “Strict Accountability in Local School Construction Bond Act of 2000” (Educ. Code, § 15264, et seq.; hereafter “the School Bond Act”). In 2010, the voters of the District approved Measure I-10, authorizing the District to issue $117,000,000 in general obligation bonds for the purpose of improving school and education facilities within the District. The District issued only $25,500,000 in bonds under the authority of Measure I-10. Due to the decline in the housing market and reduction in the assessed value of property, the District is now prevented from issuing the additional $91,500,000 of the unissued bonds because the tax rate projections required by Measure I-10 cannot be realized. Therefore, in order to carry out the purposes of Measure I-10, this measure will allow the District to issue up to $58,000,000 in bonds to acquire, construct, rebuild, replace, renovate, and otherwise improve the District’s educational and support facilities. If this measure is approved, the District will petition the Board of Supervisors to cause to be canceled the unissued Measure I-10 bonds in a principal amount equal to the principal amount of such series of bonds as may be issued pursuant to this measure so that the $117,000,000 in bonds approved by Measure I-10 in 2010 is not exceeded. Pursuant to the requirements of Government Code section 53410 et seq. and Article XIIIA, Section 1(b)(3) of the California Constitution, the measure includes the accountability requirements established by the School Bond Act, including the establishment of a citizens’ oversight committee and the filing of an annual report by the Board of Trustees of the District. Bond proceeds must be used solely to fund projects included in the school facilities list set forth in the full text of the measure. If the measure passes, the bonds issued pursuant to this measure shall bear interest at a rate not to exceed the statutory annual limit permitted by law. The bonds and interest will be financed by ad valorem taxes levied annually on taxable real property within the District and will increase the tax rate on real property within the District above 1% of the full cash value for the period necessary to pay the principal and interest on the bonds, as permitted by Article XIIIA, section 1(b)(3) of the California Constitution. The District’s Tax Rate Statement, which accompanies this analysis, reflects an estimate of the maximum property tax levies required to service the bonds.	”
—Rita L. Neal, San Luis Obispo County Counsel

Support

Supporters

The following individuals signed the official arguments in favor of Measure B:

• Tom O’Malley
• Mary Madalyn McDaniel
• James R. Patterson
• Alfred J. Fonzi II
• Thomas N. Lawrie

Arguments in favor

The following was submitted as the official arguments in favor of Measure B:

“	In 2010, Atascadero 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 B-14 will reauthorize $58 million of the previously approved 2010 bonds. By voting YES on Measure B-14, we can continue to improve our local public schools while at the same time SAVING MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS. Here’s how: Measure B-14 will let Atascadero USD continue the job of fixing our schools by: Modernizing and expanding vocational education programs and facilities Repairing and modernizing aging school facilities throughout the District Improving student access to computers and technology Repairing and replacing roofs Measure B-14 makes financial sense and has taxpayer protections in place: Reauthorizing the 2010 bonds will allow the District to borrow at a much lower interest rate, saving taxpayers millions of dollars in interest. Iron-clad restrictions that money can only be spent on improving Atascadero’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 B-14 funds MUST be used to improve our children’s schools and CANNOT BE TAKEN AWAY BY THE STATE AND SPENT ELSEWHERE! Our local schools are our most important asset and should be our number one priority. Measure B-14 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 B-14!	”
—Tom O’Malley, Mary Madalyn McDaniel, James R. Patterson, Alfred J. Fonzi II and Thomas N. Lawrie

Opposition

Opponents

John Paul Daly signed the official arguments in opposition to Measure B.

Arguments against

The following was submitted as the official arguments in opposition to Measure B:

“	When the debt for the tax override AUSD imposed in 1990 had been satisfied by the homeowners; the district instantly sought, and obtained a new tax in 2010 that promised to do the very same things the first tax was promised to do. The projected costs of that tax was $129,538,711.00. Now the district is seeking yet another bond issue ... again, for the same purpose. As taxpayers we have become desensitized. We have heard numbers like million, hundreds of millions, billion and even trillion applied to dollars that the government spends to the point where we have become numb to how much money that is, and oblivious to how we are paying it. Nobody is against the children, education, teachers, mom, PTA, or apple pie. But the tattered whine: “It’s for the children” as the government appropriates more and more is getting long. And, now it appears it is becoming much too frequent. Nobody is against providing an adequate education for the youth of California. But at some point a decision must be made that schools, like families, should live within reasonable limits. Those in favor of levying more taxes on local property ignore the current burden for public education in California. The property tax distribution tables show that in excess of 60% of such revenue is already allocated to schools. The homeowner is being taxed enough. This current proposal will double the override tax now being collected. Please vote NO on Measure B-14.	”
—John Paul Daly

Related measures

• Atascadero Unified School District bond proposition, Measure I-10 (November 2010) a

See also

• School bond elections in California
• Local school bonds on the ballot
• San Luis Obispo County, California ballot measures
• November 4, 2014 ballot measures in California

External links

Suggest a link

• San Luis Obispo Elections Office website