Lodi Unified School District, California, Bond Issue, Measure U (November 2016)
| Measure U: Lodi Unified School District Bond Issue |
|---|
|
| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 8, 2016 |
| Status: |
 ApprovedMajority required: 55% |
| Topic: |
| Local school bonds Tax: $60.00 per $100,000 in value Matures in: Legal limit |
| Related articles |
| Local school bonds on the ballot November 8, 2016 ballot measures in California San Joaquin County, California ballot measures |
| See also |
| Lodi Unified School District, California |
A bond issue measure was on the ballot for Lodi Unified School District voters in San Joaquin County, California, on November 8, 2016. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of issuing $281 million in bonds to repair and upgrade classrooms and school facilities and retain teachers. |
| A no vote was a vote against issuing $281 million in bonds to repair and upgrade classrooms and school facilities and retain teachers. |
A 55 percent supermajority vote was required for the approval of this measure.
Election results
| Measure U | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 36,550 | 65.18% | ||
| No | 19,526 | 34.82% | ||
- Election results from San Joaquin Registrar of Voters
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
To repair and upgrade aging classrooms in local schools to prepare students for college and careers, retain/attract quality teachers and improve student health/safety by removing mold/asbestos/lead paint, repairing leaky roofs, updating classrooms and acquiring/constructing/modernizing sites/facilities/equipment, shall Lodi Unified School District issue $281,000,000 of bonds at legal interest rates, with citizens’ oversight, annual audits, no money for administrators’ salaries/pensions and all funds staying local? [2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the San Joaquin County Counsel :
| “ |
Approval of Measure U would allow Lodi Unified School District (the “District”) to incur bonded indebtedness up to a maximum amount of two hundred eighty-one million dollars and no cents ($281,000,000.00). The issuance and sale of such general obligation bonds would be for repairing and upgrading aging school facilities, school safety and security upgrades, and technology and science modernization projects. Bond proceeds could also be used to qualify for State of California matching funds. No funds derived from bond sales could be used for District administrators’ salaries or for any purpose or project other than those expressly stated in the measure. To assure that funds derived from bond sales authorized by Measure U are spent only for the purposes expressly stated in Measure U, and for no other purposes, Measure U would require the District to: (1) appoint an independent citizens’ oversight committee; and (2) conduct annual independent performance and financial audits. If Measure U is approved, and bonds are authorized and sold, the principal thereof and interest thereon shall be payable from the proceeds of tax levies made upon the taxable property in the District. If Measure U is approved, the tax rate necessary for payment of principal and interest on any bonds sold will be largely dictated by the timing of the bond sales, the amount sold at a given sale, market interest rates at the time of each sale (although in no event greater than the maximum bond net interest rate allowed by law), as well as actual assessed valuation of taxable property in the District over the term of repayment. A statement of the tax rate data required by Elections Code Section 9401 will be provided to all registered voters with the sample ballot for the bond election. Approval of Measure U does not guarantee that the projects proposed by the District to be funded from the proceeds of bonds authorized and sold will be funded beyond the local revenues generated by the bond sales authorized by Measure U. The District’s proposal for such projects assumes the receipt of matching State of California funds that could be subject to appropriation by the State Legislature or to approval by a statewide bond measure. Passage of Measure U requires approval by fifty-five percent (55%) of voters voting thereon. [2] |
” |
| —San Joaquin County Counsel [3] | ||
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Support
Supporters
The following individuals signed the official argument in favor of the measure:[3]
- James A. Mousalimas, San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools
- Veronica Aguas, President, Julia Morgan Elementary School PTA
- Marcy Zimmerman, President, Reese Elementary School Parent Club
- Jeff Seybold, Chairman, LUSD Bond Oversight Committee
- Jose Maciel, After School Education and Safety Program Manager
Arguments in favor
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in favor of the measure:[3]
| “ |
Vote Yes on U – Unite for Better Schools! Children need your help! Most local schools were built decades ago and need health and safety upgrades. Yes on U repairs local schools to keep children safe and prepare them for success! Yes on U – Repair Aging Schools! Yes on U removes mold, asbestos, and lead paint, repairs leaky roofs, replaces outdated, deteriorating electrical wiring, heating/air conditioning systems and updates fire alarms and sprinklers. Yes on U – Prepare Students For College and Careers! Not all students attend college. Yes on U provides students with handson learning tools to gain real-world skills necessary to compete for good paying jobs. Yes on U attracts and retains quality teachers, upgrades classrooms, science labs, and improves wiring for technology access to support science, technology, engineering, and math classes which are critical to success in the 21st Century. Yes on U – Keep Students Safe! Yes on U creates safer schools by enabling teachers and principals to better monitor students, identify at-risk students, and expand programs to keep students off the street, out of trouble, and away from gangs. Measure U is Fiscally Accountable! Every penny will be used only for Lodi Unified School District. Measure U includes tough accountability and taxpayer safeguards including Independent Citizens Oversight and annual financial audits. No money for administrator salaries, pensions or the State. Voting Yes on U ensures local schools are eligible for their fair share of state money that would otherwise go to other communities! Measure U is a good long-term investment that helps the local economy. Remember, quality public schools maintain strong property values. Join teachers, parents, community leaders, local farmers and business owners in voting Yes on U – Unite for Better Schools! Stockton and Lodi get their fair share! Learn more and remember to vote: www.UniteforBetterSchools.com [2] |
” |
Opposition
Opponents
The following individuals signed the official argument against the measure:[3]
- Gregory P. Goehring, Taxpayer
- Jim Shoemaker, Taxpayer
- Alexander S. Aliferis, Taxpayer Advocate
- Jim Hicks, Taxpayer
Arguments against
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in opposition to the measure:[3]
| “ |
Lack of accountability: one reason to vote NO. The Lodi Unified School District (LUSD) has eight high schools, ten middle schools, and 32 elementary schools. On the November ballot, there is a $9 billion statewide education bond that will cost $17.6 billion to repay with interest. Along with LUSD’s $281 million bond (interest to be determined), your tax bill will get higher. How much can you afford? What are you really pay for? Salaries and benefits, including pensions, accounted for more than 80% of LUSD’s 2014-15 budget. In 2015-16, salaries and benefits remained at this level, while the district allocated less than 1% for repairs. In 2016-17, pensions costs spiraled from 21% to 24% of the LUSD budget to cover the shortfall in the CalSTRS system whose unfunded liabilities are estimated at more than $80 billion. Let that sink in. LUSD is paying a quarter of its budget for pensions, not education or building maintenance. All of the money is going to salaries and benefits, especially rising pension costs. There is no money left for building maintenance. California State Treasurer John Chiang then stated the obvious recently when he expressed concern over pay to play arrangements where construction companies and Wall Street firms bankroll campaigns to pass local bond measures and then profit from the bond money. In 2014, the FBI and SEC initiated an investigation into the West Contra Costa Unified School District construction bond program. The district does not have a revenue problem, it has a spiraling salary and pension problem that is cutting into the budget to maintain our school buildings. Lack of accountability: one reason to vote NO on Measure U.[2] |
” |
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing officials of Lodi Unified School District, California.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Lodi Unified School District Local school bonds. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters, "Local Measures to be voted for in the November 8, 2016 Election," accessed November 1, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters, "Sample Ballot," accessed November 1, 2016
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