Measure S: Pros and Cons

Come April 5, local voters will face some tough decisions Glendale Municipal Election. Seats are open on the GUSD board of education, the Glendale City Council and the GCC Board of Trustees. One election item at the forefront of voters’ minds is Measure S.

Here, Patch provides readers with clarification on the pros and cons of Measure S. Sit back and enjoy reading the facts, pros and cons of the upcoming $270 million measure. 

Facts:

• Measure S extends the current property tax rate approved by voters in 1997 with the passage of Measure K, a bond measure that, by most accounts, has been successful in its stated task of building and maintaining Glendale school facilities.
• Measure K tax rates, which fluctuated slightly year to year, continue until 2017. Measure S will extend the 2009-2010 rates ($46.03 per $100,000 of assessed property value), without fluctuating, from 2017 to 2050.
• Measure S funds must be used for facility improvements and maintenance only. This includes new technology, building, repairs, and classroom/lab upgrades.
• Measure S funds may not be used for GUSD administrator or teacher salaries.
• Measure S funds can not be seized by state or federal government agencies. Money must remain within the GUSD.
• Bond capital can be used as leverage to acquire extra state and federal grant money.
• If Measure S passes, money in the district’s general fund (approximately $20 million, according to the school board) might be freed up for use on issues of high priority, such as class size reduction and teacher furlough day rollbacks. However, no guarantee of this has been made to the Glendale Teachers Association. Therefore, GTA management, not necessarily its members, has taken a stand of non-support of Measure S. 
• A committee of concerned residents, appointed by the school board within 60 days of Measure S approval and called the Citizens’ Oversight Committee, will oversee and report on how Measure S and, to a degree, General Fund money is spent. All COC proceedings are public.

 Arguments in Favor of Measure S:

• According to www.Yes4S.com, an informational website paid for by the School Facilities Bond Committee, funds will be used to increase campus safety, improve access for students with disabilities, help make schools more energy efficient, and upgrade facilities and technology.
• Principals at CV High, Rosemont Middle School and Mountain Avenue Elementary have shared how they hope to use their allotted funds. CV High intends to use funds for new technology and facility upgrades, including science labs. Rosemont Middle School proposes remodeling math classrooms, updating technology, and upgrading the 50-year-old locker rooms and gym. Mountain Avenue Elementary intends to remodel the cafeteria to fully handle the student body, as well as fix cracked blacktops and replace old equipment on the playgrounds and update technology.
• This measure would continue the projects started with Measure K funds.  If the community wait, facilities will grow older and become more expensive to repair. Also, the current economy is conducive to good interest rates and high quality, fairly priced labor.
• Top notch schools draw homebuyers to the area, increasing property values.
• Measure S has been endorsed by numerous organizations such as the Glendale Council PTA, Glendale Association of Realtors, the Crescenta Valley Weekly, and the Glendale Educational Foundation. Many state and county officials have also endorsed the measure.   

Arguments against Measure S. 

• Other than the GTA, no organizations have come out in opposition to Measure S (at the time of publication). The following information is culled from informal surveys.  Most are not facts, but questions and concerns posed by local voters.
• When many citizens have lost their jobs or had their salaries cut, now is not the time to extend a tax. According to some residents, a tax break would be welcome, even if it is only a few hundred dollars a year. 
• There is no guarantee of class size reduction or better teacher benefits, something most residents want.
• There is no guarantee that the money from Measure S or the consequently freed money in the general fundwon’t be squandered. Citizens ask who are the members of the Citizens’ Oversight Committee and do they have our best interests in mind?  In light of what happened in the City of Bell, can government agencies be trusted with our tax money?
• Will the funds be distributed equitably? Affluent neighborhoods contribute more taxes, but may receive fewer benefits because they are less “needy.”
• Are there “pet projects” that school board members want to see happen at too great an expense?
• Some believe there is plenty of money in the district already. These people argue that reduction of expenses is what’s needed. 

A panel discussion on Measure S will take place on March 29 at the .