Argument Against Measure S

(1.) The $75 million dollar Measure S Bond resolution was approved to be placed on the March 2020 election ballot by 4 out of 5 members of the San Lorenzo Unified School District Board of Trustees on November 20^th 2019 without sufficient open public discussion for a bond measure of this magnitude.

(2.) Bond Measure S will cost 6 cents in taxes per $100 dollars of assessed property value or $60 per $100,000. For a house valued at $500,000 dollars the property tax bill will increase by $300 dollars. This is in addition to the previous annual $193 tax from SLVUSD Bond Measure 2000 and $133 taxes for SLVUSD Bond Measure 2008, adds up to $626 dollars per year being assessed on your property tax bill for San Lorenzo residents in 2020 and beyond. Also keep in mind these tax assessments increase approximately 2% per year when re-assessed by the Santa Cruz County Tax Assessor every year.

(3.) Financing this Bond will cost approximately $155.5 million over the 30 year life of the Bond. Thus, home owners in the SLVUSD district in San Lorenzo Valley will end up paying $80.5 million in additional property taxes for the $75 million Bond Measure S.

(4.) San Lorenzo Valley District voters need to review the SLVUSD’s existing approved 2019-2020 and forecasted 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school district budgets which indicate healthy revenues averaging from $109 million to $120 million dollars annually.

(5.) After completing your own research on Ballot Measure S I think you would agree to Vote No on Measure S because this additional property tax is too expensive and nearly doubles your current San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District bond measures.

VOTE NO on MEASURE S                                           

John Patrick O’Reilly

Etta L. Kinney

Mark D. Lee