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TRUCKEE/TAHOE, Calif. — The Measure A parcel tax is up for election next Tues day, and while the school district is optimistic voters will approve it, officials also are preparing for the event it isn't adopted.
If Measure A does not receive the two-thirds majority vote to pass, it will likely be brought again for a special election in April 2012, with small revisions to the current ballot language, said Steve Jennings, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District superintendent.
Jennings said the measure — which, if approved, would raise the parcel tax from $98 per year to $135 and generate an estimated $4 million annually, and would be implemented starting with the 2012-'13 school year — is ab solutely critical for the school district considering recent drops in property tax revenues, potential state cuts and rising costs to maintain current programs.
“If it doesn't pass, we will obviously have to regroup — how the measure re turns will depend on a lot of things, like how much it will be,” Jennings said.
While there are many supporters of the measure, there are also those who have criticized it for an apparent lack of transparency and accountability. One of those is Don Spano, the local accountant who wrote the argument against the measure, which appears on the ballot.
In a recent My Turn column in the Sierra Sun, Spano said while he still has concerns about certain aspects of the measure, significant progress has been made with the school district to ensure the potential funding is spent wisely and measurably in a transparent way by its Citizens Review Committee.
“With my thanks to Superintendent Jennings, who reached out to me and to other members of the community about the “No on A” stance, there has been meaningful recent progress made on a formal plan for accountabilities for outcomes, for results and effectiveness, from Measure A expenditures,” Spano said in the column.
Unlike language in the ballot asking residents to oppose the measure, Spano's new view asks residents only to vote based on good judgment.
“What matters is that progress has been made,” Spano said in the column. “Voters now must vote their belief that these longer-range plans will become reality, that they will be executed and reported upon.”
Over the past few months, the measure has gained much positive momentum, in the form of “vote yes” letters and guest columns and endorsements from regional politicians and organizations, including Nevada County Supervisor Ted Owens and the Tahoe Sierra Board of Realtors. It also has garnered a much-smaller amount of opposition, via a couple letters and nameless online commenters who argue residents should not be subject to tax increases during the current state of economic flux.
Jennings said he has confidence that should funding be renewed, the Measure A Citizens Review Committee would do its best to ensure accountability.
“... They really take their job seriously and they always make sure there (is) a lot of accountability in place,” Jennings said. “They will continue to make sure they are representing the wishes of the taxpayers.”
If Measure A does not receive the two-thirds majority vote to pass, it will likely be brought again for a special election in April 2012, with small revisions to the current ballot language, said Steve Jennings, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District superintendent.
Jennings said the measure — which, if approved, would raise the parcel tax from $98 per year to $135 and generate an estimated $4 million annually, and would be implemented starting with the 2012-'13 school year — is ab solutely critical for the school district considering recent drops in property tax revenues, potential state cuts and rising costs to maintain current programs.
“If it doesn't pass, we will obviously have to regroup — how the measure re turns will depend on a lot of things, like how much it will be,” Jennings said.
While there are many supporters of the measure, there are also those who have criticized it for an apparent lack of transparency and accountability. One of those is Don Spano, the local accountant who wrote the argument against the measure, which appears on the ballot.
In a recent My Turn column in the Sierra Sun, Spano said while he still has concerns about certain aspects of the measure, significant progress has been made with the school district to ensure the potential funding is spent wisely and measurably in a transparent way by its Citizens Review Committee.
“With my thanks to Superintendent Jennings, who reached out to me and to other members of the community about the “No on A” stance, there has been meaningful recent progress made on a formal plan for accountabilities for outcomes, for results and effectiveness, from Measure A expenditures,” Spano said in the column.
Unlike language in the ballot asking residents to oppose the measure, Spano's new view asks residents only to vote based on good judgment.
“What matters is that progress has been made,” Spano said in the column. “Voters now must vote their belief that these longer-range plans will become reality, that they will be executed and reported upon.”
Over the past few months, the measure has gained much positive momentum, in the form of “vote yes” letters and guest columns and endorsements from regional politicians and organizations, including Nevada County Supervisor Ted Owens and the Tahoe Sierra Board of Realtors. It also has garnered a much-smaller amount of opposition, via a couple letters and nameless online commenters who argue residents should not be subject to tax increases during the current state of economic flux.
Jennings said he has confidence that should funding be renewed, the Measure A Citizens Review Committee would do its best to ensure accountability.
“... They really take their job seriously and they always make sure there (is) a lot of accountability in place,” Jennings said. “They will continue to make sure they are representing the wishes of the taxpayers.”
Polling locations
Placer County and Nevada County will have polling locations open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. A spokeswoman for Nevada County estimated a rough tally would be completed by around 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on election day.
A spokeswoman for Placer County estimated a rough tally would be completed by 11 p.m., while a spokeswoman for El Dorado County said she estimated the majority of its mail-in ballots would be completed by 8:05 p.m. on Election Day. El Dorado County: Mail-in ballots only Placer County: • Alpine Meadows Fire Department #56 270 Alpine Meadows Rd, Alpine Meadows, CA 96146-9802 • North Tahoe Fire Station #54 159 Observation Drive,, Tahoe City, CA 96145 • North Tahoe Event Center 8318 N Lake Boulevard (Hwy 28), Kings Beach, CA 96143 • Rideout Community Center 740 Timberland Lane, Homewood, CA 96141 • North Tahoe Event Center 8318 N Lake Boulevard (Hwy 28), Kings Beach, CA 96143 Nevada County: • Glenshire Swim and Tennis Club 15726 Glenshire Drive, Truckee • Northwoods Clubhouse 11509 Northwoods Boulevard, Truckee • Truckee Donner Public Utility District 11570 Donner Pass Road, Truckee |
Online coverage
Stay tuned to www.sierrasun.com Tuesday night for live election updates as Measure A results roll in.While the information will come after press time for the Wednesday, March 9 print edition, look for full coverage in the Friday, March 11 edition.
