Dear Everyone;
Some additional information about Proposition 39 school bonds and the $450 million school bond issue placed on the ballot by the school board.
DESCRIPTION
Proposition 39 passed in Nov. 2000 and amended the California Constitution to allow school and community college districts and county offices of education to issue bonds for construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement of facilities and to authorize property taxes higher than the existing 1% limit to repay the bonds, if approved by a 55% vote rather than the current two-thirds requirement.
To qualify, a bond measure must not allow bonds to be used for salaries or other operating expenses; must require annual performance and financial audits; and must require inclusion of a specific list of projects after consideration of safety, class size reduction, and information technology needs.
After Proposition 39 qualified for the ballot, legislation (AB 1908, Lempert) was approved that adds certain restrictions to school bonds approved by a 55% vote. If Proposition 39 is passed, these limits would take effect:
These bond measures can only be placed on the ballot in regularly scheduled elections or statewide special elections.
The tax rate levied by a bond election is capped at $60 for a unified school district, $30 for an elementary or high school district, or $25 for a community college district, per $100,000 of taxable property value.
A citizens' oversight committee must be appointed to make sure the money is not wasted.
A two-thirds vote of the district governing board is required to place a bond issue on the ballot.
Until a copy of the school bond issue is posted or copies made available I am guessing the measure qualifies as a Proposition 39 bond issue or it would not have been released. However, this presumes legal counsel for the school district reviewed the bond package certifying that it qualifies.
However until a copy is available we should place this on the LPSF agenda as a typical bond issue and vote accordingly. A 55% vote is needed on the school bond NOT the standard 2/3's for bonds.
Ron Getty
SF Libertarian