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Vote ‘no’ on property tax bonds for SLO County school districts

Lucia Mar Unified School District, which includes Arroyo Grande High School, is asking for $170 million with its Measure I-16 this November. The money would go to upgrades at all 18 of the districts’ schools.
Lucia Mar Unified School District, which includes Arroyo Grande High School, is asking for $170 million with its Measure I-16 this November. The money would go to upgrades at all 18 of the districts’ schools. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com

San Luis Obispo County continues to be contaminated with property tax bonds.

Per The Tribune, the Lucia Mar, Paso Robles, San Miguel and Shandon school districts are seeking a total of $274 million in bonds this Nov. 8 to finance upgrading (“School districts seek more than $274 million this November,” Oct. 14).

Property owners in the Lucia Mar district are still paying off the systemic burden of bonds for 1997 and 2004. The payoff is 2024 prior to starting again. This bond will yield on the average of $41 per $100,000 of assessed evaluation.

What happened to state resources? California’s heavy bureaucracy of salaries, benefits and pensions encourages the state to cut needed resources. What happened to the use of Proposition 30 funds, which may be extended by Proposition 55 this November? What happened to the use of the lottery? The above resources are controlled by the state and the districts need to seek any necessary funds. Sixty-one percent of county property taxes are allocated to the schools. Vote no on these unnecessary measures — to protect property owners.

Werner Koch, Cambria

This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 7:41 PM with the headline "Vote ‘no’ on property tax bonds for SLO County school districts."

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