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Santa Barbara Unified School District parcel taxes (June and November 2012)
Two Santa Barbara Unified School District parcel tax ballot questions, Measures A and B, were on the November 6, 2012, ballot for voters in the Santa Barbara Unified School District in Santa Barbara County, where they were both approved.[1]
Voters in the school district rejected two parcel tax measures that were on the June 5, 2012 ballot. Within a month of that rejection, the district's school board decided to come back to the November 6, 2012, ballot with renewed requests, but at a lower level of taxation than they asked for in the unsuccessful June votes.
Whereas in June, the district made two separate $54/year parcel tax requests (one for the high school district and one for the elementary school district), in November the board was asking for less money: $48 per parcel in the elementary district (Measure A) and $45 per parcel per year for the high school district (Measure B).[1][2]
Voters in the district approved two parcel tax measures in 2008: Measure H, a $23/year parcel tax for the high school, and Measure I, a $27/year parcel tax for the elementary school. Measures H and I both expire on July 1, 2013.
With the approval of the new measures, the tax levy on each parcel within the district will approximately double. This will raise about $16 million for the school district.[3] There are about 24,000 parcels in the elementary school district and about 52,000 parcels in the high school district.[1]
Parcel tax proposals require a two-thirds (66.67%) vote for approval.
Measures A and B in November 2012
- Measure A, imposed a $48/year parcel tax, with the proceeds going to support the elementary school.
- Measure B, imposed a $45/year parcel tax, with the proceeds going to support the high school.
Election results
| Measure A | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 55,320 | 69.86% | ||
| No | 23,870 | 30.14% | ||
| Measure B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 24,264 | 70.81% | ||
| No | 10,001 | 29.19% | ||
- Final certified results from the Santa Barbara County elections office.
Measures W and X in June 2012
Measure W and Measure X, were on the June 5, 2012 ballot for voters in the Santa Barbara Unified School District in Santa Barbara County, where they were defeated.[3]
If they had been approved, each ballot proposal would have levied a $54 annual parcel tax for four years.[4]
Support
Supporters included:
* The mayors of Santa Barbara and Goleta
- Salud Carbajal
- Margie Yahyavi
- Lois Capps[5]
- Lynn Rodriquez.[6]
- The Santa Barbara Education Foundation[7]
Opposition
Opponents included Lou Segal. He wrote, "So why do I oppose parcel-tax Measures W and X? Because they enable our school bureaucracy to continue with the status quo and acquiesce to the powerful teacher unions. Until we change the culture in our public schools, they will continue to fail our children. We need to say no to the educational establishment and deny them any more money until these reforms are enacted. It is time for the voters to let the powers that be know that they are tired of waiting for these critical reforms and will not fund a failing public school system with more of their hard earned tax dollars. No reform, no money."[8]
Measure W results
| Measure W | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 No | 14,690 | 34.84% | ||
| Yes | 27,476 | 65.16% | ||
- These final election results are from the Santa Barbara County elections office.
Measure W text
The question on the ballot:
| MEASURE W: "To offset severe state budget cuts to our junior high and high schools; enhance secondary math, science, technology and career education; protect music, arts, foreign language and theater programs at the secondary level; and protect secondary class size, shall Santa Barbara Unified School District be authorized to implement a $54 annual parcel tax for four years, with an available exemption for senior citizens, with independent citizen oversight, without administrative salaries, and with every dollar staying in our local schools?"[9] |
Measure X results
| Measure X | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| No | 6,334 | 34.04% | ||
| Yes | 12,271 | 65.96% | ||
- These final election results are from the Santa Barbara County elections office.
Measure X text
The question on the ballot:
| MEASURE X: "To offset severe state budget cuts to our elementary schools; protect class size; enhance elementary math, science and technology education; and offer classroom music and performing arts programs at the elementary school level, shall the Santa Barbara Unified School District be authorized to implement a $54 annual elementary education parcel tax for four years, with an available exemption for senior citizens, with independent citizen oversight, without administrative salaries, and with every dollar staying in our local elementary schools?"[9] |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Noozhawk, "Santa Barbara School District to Put Parcel-Tax Measures on November Ballot, at Lower Rate," June 26, 2012
- ↑ Santa Barbara Independent, "School Parcel Tax Measures Get Names," August 16, 2012
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Noozhawk, "Santa Barbara School Board Votes to Put $54-Per-Parcel Tax Measure on June Ballot," January 24, 2012
- ↑ Noozhawk, "Tax Proposals, Veronica Meadows Project Among Ballot Measures Awaiting June Vote," April 30, 2012
- ↑ Santa Barbara Independent, "Public Ed and Parcel Tax," May 17, 2012
- ↑ Santa Barbara Independent, "Parcel Taxes for Arts and Sciences," May 16, 2012
- ↑ Santa Barbara Education Review, "Support for Ballot Measures W and X," May 20, 2012
- ↑ Noozhawk, "Lou Segal: Parcel-Tax Measures W and X Won’t Improve Our Schools," May 16, 2012
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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