Three reasons for voting no
I have carefully read about this Measure C apparently seeking to save our schools, not just to support them, judging from the long list of critical programs to be funded. For most readers, it is difficult to assess the need beyond sloganeering.
I am voting no for at least three reasons: additional charges on our tax bills have piled up to become a sizable burden; property owners are squeezed also by the bad economy and escalating college costs borne by most tenants; and election tactics used here do appear cagey.
As suggested by your readers, it’s quite fair to have parents provide additional funds, and then alone we would see school officials coming up with realistic spending plans. One irksome note: I do not need political advice from Helen Thomson, PTA presidents, and the like.
Subodh Jain
Davis
Short URL: http://www.davisenterprise.com/?p=136229
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Posted by Letters to the Editor
on Feb 11 2012.
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Voting yes will NOT increase your tax bill. It is a straight renewal and you will not see an increase in taxes.
Vote yes, because it is the right thing to do for all of the students of Davis.
YES ON C!
http://www.yesforourstudents.org
“It is a straight renewal and you will not see an increase in taxes.”
This is untrue. It is explicitly not a straight renewal. It is set up to increase on a year over year basis every year. Here is the language as published by the Yolo County Elections Office:
“To account for the impact of inflation on the cost of delivering the classroom programs and student services supported by the education parcel tax, the Base Annual Tax as set forth above shall be adjusted annually, commencing as of the 2013-14 tax year, for inflation by the change in the ‘Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers California (1982-84=100)’ published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.”
If we have a 3.5 percent annual growth in the CPI, your tax bill will increase from $320 in the first year to $367.21 by year 5. If we have a 5.0 percent annual growth in the CPI, your tax bill will increase from $320 in the first year to $388.96 by year 5. For those whose incomes are stagnant, the increases built into this measure will negatively affect them in a real sense.
In this particular measure, you wouldn’t see any increase in the first year (next year). The following year you would see the CPI factor. 5.0 CPI over 4-5 years is highly unlikely. Most typically it is 2-3 percent if the economy is growing decently, less if not. If Measure C passes, then the school board would also have the authority to over-ride the amount of the school parcel tax and set it to a lower rate. Measure C gives the parameters for the maximum rate that could be set.
Past school parcel taxes factored in a 3.0 to 3.5 CPI rate into a flat rate, to be on the conservative side with respect to budgeting. Problem is that frequently the CPI was lower. This mechanism ties CPI to the real inflation rate.
My guess is that the school board will let Measure A expire. Assuming that happens, school parcel tax would drop anyway.
“My guess is that the school board will let Measure A expire. Assuming that happens, school parcel tax would drop anyway.”
You keep saying that but I think we all know better. Once they create a tax it never seems to go away.
There’s a fourth reason to vote no. You will no longer be able to deduct these school taxes off of your yearly income tax bills.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/05/BUG61N2O5K.DTL