Orinda, California, Bond Issue, Measure L (June 2016)
| Meaure L: Orinda Bond Issue |
|---|
|
| The basics |
| Election date: |
| June 7, 2016 |
| Status: |
 ApprovedMajority required: 66.67% |
| Topic: |
| City bonds |
| Related articles |
| City bonds on the ballot June 7, 2016 ballot measures in California Contra Costa County, California ballot measures |
| See also |
| Orinda, California |
A bond issue measure was on the ballot for Orinda voters in Contra Costa County, California, on June 7, 2016. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of increasing the city's debt by $25 million through issuing general obligation bonds in that amount to fund road and storm drain repair. |
| A no vote was a vote against increasing the city's debt by $25 million through issuing general obligation bonds in that amount to fund road and storm drain repair. |
City officials estimated the total debt service cost for the loan—including principal and interest—at $36,725,000. City officials also estimated the property tax rate required to repay the proposed bonds at $21.47 per $100,000 in assessed property value.[1]
A two-thirds (66.67%) vote was required for the approval of Measure L.
Election results
| Orinda, Measure L | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 5,441 | 68.48% | ||
| No | 2,504 | 31.52% | ||
- Election results from Contra Costa County Elections Office
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
To repair failing roads and storm drains, restore and upgrade other roadways and storm drains, fix potholes, and improve safety on Orinda public streets, shall the City of Orinda issue twenty five million dollars in bonds, with financial audits, public review of all expenditures, and a citizens’ oversight committee?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Orinda City Attorney:
| “ |
The Orinda Road and Storm Drain Repair Measure is a bond measure placed on the ballot by the Orinda City Council. If approved by Orinda voters, the Measure would authorize the City to issue and sell up to $25,000,000 in general obligation municipal bonds to help fund repairs and improvements to City roadways and storm drains. Proceeds from the sale of the bonds could only be used to pay for the roadway and storm drain infrastructure improvements described in the Measure, and certain costs associated with issuing the bonds. California law authorizes cities to issue general obligation bonds to finance acquisition or improvement of real property subject to certain limitations. State law provides, for example, that a measure authorizing such bonds must be approved by at least two-thirds of the voters voting on it. If the Measure is approved, an additional ad valorem property tax will be levied annually on all taxable property within the City to pay for the principal and interest due on the bonds. Once the bonds are repaid, this annual tax will terminate. The Tax Rate Statement, which follows this Impartial Analysis, reflects the City’s current estimate of the additional ad valorem property tax levy that would be required to repay the bonds. The Tax Rate Statement is an estimate based on currently available data and projections. The actual tax levied could be more or less than the City’s estimate. The Measure imposes certain accountability safeguards, including: 1. The Orinda Citizens’ Infrastructure Oversight Commission (CIOC) would review bond expenditures and report to the public whether those proceeds are expended only for projects authorized by the voters. The CIOC, a volunteer body comprised of seven Orinda residents, was created by the City Council to advise on infrastructure matters. CIOC meetings are noticed and open to the public consistent with State law (the Brown Act). 2. Bond proceeds would be deposited in a special fund or account. 3. The City Manager would annually prepare a public report, filed with the City Council, detailing the bond proceeds received and expended as well as the status of any project funded or to be funded from bond proceeds. This report may be incorporated into the City’s annual audit and would be required as long as any bond proceeds remain unexpended. A “Yes” vote is a vote in favor of City sale of bonds and imposition of the taxes necessary to pay for the bonds. A “No” vote is a vote against City sale of bonds and imposition of the taxes necessary to pay for the bonds.[2] |
” |
| —Orinda City Attorney[1] | ||
Support
Supporters
The following individuals signed the official argument in favor of the measure:[1]
- Victoria Smith, Mayor City of Orinda
- Dean Orr, City Council member City of Orinda
- Terry Murphy, Chair Orinda Citizens’ Infrastructure Oversight Commission
- Bob Thompson, Chair Orinda Finance Advisory Committee
- Julie Rossiter, Board President Orinda Union School District
Arguments in favor
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in favor of the measure:[1]
| “ |
Yes on Measure L! Orinda’s roads are among the worst in the Bay Area. Without more funds to implement Orinda’s Roads and Drainage Repair Plan, our residential roads will continue to deteriorate and future repairs will cost even more. Measure L funds the third stage of the publicly approved Plan to fix Orinda’s failing roads and storm drains. The Plan, which commits to repairing all public roads to "Good" to "Excellent" condition (Pavement Condition Index/PCI 50 or greater), was developed by Orinda’s Citizens’ Infrastructure Oversight Commission (CIOC) and City Council, with input from the Finance Advisory Committee, after numerous public hearings. For more information, see www.FixOrindaRoads.org. Measure L will: • Substantially increase repairs to Orinda residential roads and drains. • Add $25 million to our infrastructure investment, not replace current funding. • Mean safer conditions for children and pedestrians on neighborhood streets. • Protect property values, increase public safety and reduce auto damage. Taxpayer Protections Included among the taxpayer protections are requirements that: • Funds can only be used for street and drain repairs, not for other purposes. • Outside agencies are prevented from raiding these funds. • CIOC will report annually on expenditures funded by this measure. • An annual audit is performed Measure L enables continued work on critically needed infrastructure improvements. It’s an important investment in maintaining and improving our overall quality of life today and in the future. Homeowners will pay an average annual property tax of about seventeen dollars per hundred thousand of assessed home value (not market value) to secure twenty five million dollars of infrastructure improvements. Orinda taxpayers will benefit by acting now while construction costs are low and avoid future cost increases from escalating road deterioration. Numerous safeguards are in place to ensure the money is spent as promised. We urge you to vote yes on Measure L![2] |
” |
Opposition
Opponents
The following individuals signed the official argument against the measure:[1]
- Kathleen T. Jenkins, Orinda Resident
- Bruce London, M.D.
- Richard S. Colman, Executive
Arguments against
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in opposition to the measure:[1]
| “ |
Orinda’s bad roads desperately need to be fixed. However, June 2016 is not the proper time to request additional funds to fix the roads (and drains). This $25 million bond must be rejected by Orinda’s voters. Here are the reasons: --USE EXISTING ROAD FUNDS FIRST. In June 2014, Orinda’s voters approved a four-year, $20 million roadrepair bond (Measure J). Orinda should see how well the $20 million are spent before approving another bond measure in June 2016. Of the Measure J funds from 2014, only $2.5 million have been spent and $5.4 million have been committed for repair. What’s the rush? The Orinda City Council put the $25 million bond on the June 2016 ballot to avoid the possible wrath of voters, who will be deluged with county, regional, and state transportation tax measures expected on the November ballot. --DEFECTIVE DESIGN. Road Repair can require going to a depth of about four inches up to 14 inches. The greater the depth, the greater the cost. We need a qualified, experienced Project Manager to design and manage this expensive construction project to gain cost and scheduling efficiencies. For instance, 62% of the roads currently scheduled for repair in 2017 are low-traffic-volume cul-de-sacs. --ORINDANS DESERVE A REAL DIALOGUE ABOUT THEIR ROADS. Before any future bond can be approved, there must be educational outreach, providing for an exchange of view among voters, the city council, and the Project Manager, during which important topics such as road selection can be discussed. Involved and informed Orindans are more likely to support a larger bond measure in 2017 or 2018 to bring ALL our roads and drains up to good condition.[2] |
” |
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing officials of Orinda, California.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Orinda City bonds. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
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