Oxnard Schools parcel tax, Measure E (November 2009)
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An Oxnard School District parcel tax, Measure E ballot question was on the November 3, 2009 ballot for voters in the Oxnard School District in Ventura County, where it was defeated.[1]
If Measure E had been approved, it would have levied a $99 annual tax per parcel in the district for four years, raising an estimated $3 million a year. To pass, it would have required a 2/3rds supermajority vote. Taxpayers would cumulatively have paid an additional $3 million/year if the measure had passed.[1] Residents over 65 can apply for a senior exemption.
The cost of conducting the election was about $150,000; whereas, if the district had waited to hold the election during a general election, such as in June 2010, the cost of holding the election would have been around $50,000.[1]
The Oxnard School District serves about 5,560 students.[2]
Election results[edit]
| Measure E | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 No | 4,671 | 52.79% | ||
| Yes | 4,177 | 47.21% | ||
- These final, certified, results are from the Ventura County elections office.
Supporters[edit]
Denis O’Leary, Deborah DeVries and Ana Del Rio-Barba, who were members of the Board of Trustees of the school district, voted to put the measure on the ballot.
The district's Parent/Teacher Association and the Oxnard branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People endorsed Measure E.[2]
Glenston Thompson, the school district's business manager, said, "From a philosophical and practical point of view, (the parcel tax) makes sense. What happens when we can’t afford to provide our kids with a decent education? It’s only common sense. It has to be funded."[2]
The editorial board of the Ventura County Reporter supported Measure E. They wrote, "The OUSD board of trustees and its finance department have done the best they can to keeping their budget balanced, reducing spending and avoiding cuts of their own, but it’s not enough to maintain schools at a degree of excellence much longer. Vote yes on Measure E and show that Oxnard cares about education."[3]
School district finances[edit]
The Oxnard school district was struggling with budget-based woes at the time of the vote on Measure E. The district has had up to 750 teachers, and one hundred of them were laid off in 2009.
Opposition[edit]
No formal opposition to Measure E had emerged. The Ventura County Taxpayers Association and the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce both adopted a neutral stance toward Measure E.[2]
Ballot question[edit]
The question on the ballot:
| Measure E: "To maintain quality education for children with math and science programs; to keep school Libraries open; to increase resources and class support with computers and technology; to maintain preschool programs; to retain quality teachers and avoid layoffs, preschool programs; to retain quality teachers and to avoid layoffs, shall Oxnard School District be authorized to levy $99 per parcel annually, with an exemption for senior citizens and mandatory citizen oversight?"[4] |
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ventura County Star, "Oxnard trustees vote to put parcel tax on ballot," June 25, 2009
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ventura County Reporter, "Proposed parcel tax earns shining support," October 8, 2009
- ↑ Ventura County Reporter, "Be responsible and vote this Election Day," November 22, 2009
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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