Measure S Vote by Mail on $90 Parcel Tax for Soquel Schools

Michael Oppenheimer

11 years ago

By Noel Smith

When asked why the District needed a parcel tax even after the passage of Prop 30, Soquel Union Elementary School District Superintendent Henry Castaniada said, “Over the past five years the District has had to cut $1.3 million of its $14 million budget. The passage of Proposition 30 does not restore the $1.3 million, it merely stopped the bleeding so we will not lose more of our funding in the current year.”

For example, Castaniada noted that some of the positions the District currently provides are paid for directly by the parents such as library and media specialists. “These positions wouldn’t exist if the District had to pay for them,” said Castaniada, “That’s not what we want; we want to have the District able to have the funds available to provide the quality of education our students deserve. That’s what this parcel tax is about; to restore and maintain quality educational programs and facilities in our District.”

District documents show that, since 2008, SUESD has experienced $1.3 million in cuts due to state reductions in education funding, which has meant increased class sizes and loss of funding for art, music and libraries.

According to the Assistant Superintendent for Business Services, Harley Robertson, “The parcel tax would raise about $800,000 per year in additional funding for the District. This would include exemptions for senior citizen and handicapped property owners. There are about 10,000 properties and 16,000 registered voters in the district.”

If the Measure S parcel tax were passed by a 2/3 majority, all funds collected would stay in SUESD and could not be taken away by the State. Because the vote-by-mail election is May 7, 2013, the revenue would be available and positively impact the 2013-2014 school year budget. The parcel tax would expire in 8 years.

In order to ensure that the funds are used as intended:

No funds could be used for administrators’ salaries
Citizen oversight and annual reports to our community would ensure funds are spent as promised

Additionally:

The measure would expire in 8 years and could not be renewed without voter approval
Senior citizen homeowners aged 65 or older could receive an exemption

According to Tricia Webber of the Santa Cruz County Clerk’s Office, the ballots were mailed to all registered voters on April 8 and have to be returned to the county clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on May 7 to be counted. Voter registration could continue until April 30 in order to be mailed a ballot for the election.

If Measure S is approved by at least two-thirds of those voting on it, the Soquel Union Elementary School District will be authorized to levy a special tax on real property. The tax would be imposed for eight years beginning July 1, 2013, at the rate of $90 per year on each parcel within the School District.

The proceeds of the special tax, if approved, may be applied only to the purposes set out in the full text of Measure S and may not be used for administrators’ salaries or benefits.

Property owners who are 65 years of age or older or who are receiving Supplemental Security Income for a disability regardless of age, whose property is used solely for owner-occupied, single family residential purposes, may obtain an exemption from the parcel tax by applying annually to the School District.

The School District Board of Trustees proposes to reduce this parcel tax if it should develop that it has an unintended effect of decreasing or offsetting local, state or federal government funding sources that would otherwise be available to the School District.

A “yes” vote is to approve imposition of the special parcel tax. A “no” vote is against imposition of the special parcel tax.