Heber Elementary School District Bond Issue, Measure J (November 2015)
| Measure info Amount: $6 million |
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A bond issue was on the ballot for Heber Elementary School District voters in Imperial County, California, on November 3, 2015. It was approved.
Measure J authorized the district to increase its debt by up to $6 million through issuing general obligation bonds in that amount. District officials estimated that the highest tax rate required during the life of the bonds to repay the debt would be $59 per $100,000 of assessed property value. District officials also estimated that the district would pay $7.2 million in interest, resulting in a total cost to the taxpayers of $13.2 million.[1]
A two-thirds (66.67%) vote was required for the approval of Measure J.
Election results
| Heber ESD, Measure J | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 432 | 82.29% | ||
| No | 93 | 17.71% | ||
- Election results from Imperial County Elections Office
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
Shall the Herber Elementary School District issue $6,000,000 of bonds at legal interest rates to construct a gymnasium for school and community use that meets health, safety, and handicapped accessibility requirements, classrooms to support the physical education curriculum and other educational needs, restrooms, changing rooms and storage areas with no money used for teacher or administrative salaries and with oversight from an independent citizens oversight committee?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of Measure J was prepared by the office of the county counsel:
| “ |
The California Constitution authorizes school districts to issue bonded indebtedness through the imposition of ad valorem property taxes upon approval of two-thirds of voters of the district who vote on the measure. The Heber Elementary School District (the “District”) proposes to issue bonded indebtedness for construction of a gymnasium and related facilities including classrooms, changing rooms, restrooms, public assembly and storage areas. If two-thirds of the voters of the District who vote on the measure vote in favor of the measure, the District will be authorized to incur debt by issuing general obligation bonds to provide financing for projects listed in the measure. Proceeds may only be used for the stated purpose and not for any other purpose; prohibited purposes include teacher and administrator salaries and other school operating expenses. If the measure is not approved by at least two-thirds of the voters of the District who vote on the measure, the measure will fail and the bonds will not be issued. The maximum principal amount of the proposed bonds is not to exceed six million dollars. ($6,000,000.00).The interest rate will be established at the time of sale and will depend on market rates at that time. If issued under the Government Code, the maximum duration of the bonds cannot exceed forty (40) years. If issued under the Education Code, the maximum duration of the bonds cannot exceed twenty-five (25) years. The exact effect on tax rates cannot be determined until after the bonds are sold. The bonds will bear interest at a rate not exceeding the legal limit. An independent Citizens' Oversight Committee will actively review expenditure of bond revenues. An independent financial audit of the proceeds and an independent performance audit of the specific projects will be performed annually. An annual report will be prepared, indicating the amount of funds collected and expended, and the status of any project listed in the measure. A "yes" vote is a vote to authorize the issuance and sale of the general obligation bonds in an amount not-to-exceed the principal amount of six million dollars ($6,000,000.00). A "no" vote is a vote not to authorize the District to issue and sell said bonds.[2] |
” |
| —Geoffrey P. Holbrook, senior deputy county counsel for Imperial County[1] | ||
Support
Supporters
The following individuals signed the official argument in favor of Measure J:[1]
- Pompeyo Tabarez, Heber Elementary School District board president
- Jack Terrazas, Imperial County supervisor (District 2)
- Laura Fischer, Heber Public Utility District general manager
- Margarito (Tito) Huerta
- Lorena Villarreal
Arguments in favor
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in favor of Measure J:
| “ |
Our schools are the most important assets in our community and should be our number one priority. Quality schools improve student achievement, increase property values, prepare children for productive futures, and create greater neighborhood safety. Our teachers and staff do a great job educating local children, but Heber Elementary School District's facilities are inadequate to provide them with the physical education opportunities that our students deserve. Although our schools have been well maintained over the years, we have a lack of facilities that do not meet 21st century standards, or the needs of a growing student population. As a cornerstone to our community, we need Heber Elementary School District to continue to be a major resource for our children. If we invest in our schools, we can construct a gymnasium for school and community use that will meet health, safety and handicapped accessibility requirements as well as improve educational standards and further enrich the community of Heber. If passed, Measure J will provide funding to make critical facility improvements to Heber Elementary School including:
Measure J will construct facilities to enhance physical education, increase the educational opportunities of a growing student body and improve the quality of our community. That's something we can all support. Please join us and VOTE YES ON MEASURE J![2] |
” |
| —Pompeyo Tabarez, Jack Terrazas, Laura Fischer, Margarito (Tito) Huerta and Lorena Villarreal[1] | ||
Opposition
No official argument in opposition to Measure J was submitted by the deadline. If you know of endorsements or arguments that should be posted here, please email the Local Ballot Measures Project staff writer.
Path to the ballot
Measure J was put on the ballot by a vote of the school district board of trustees.[1]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Heber school district bond issue Measure J. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Local school bonds on the ballot
- Imperial County, California ballot measures
- November 3, 2015 ballot measures in California
External links
Footnotes
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