Ballot wording for local measures is limited to 75 words. Campaign consultants and local officials have complained for years that they can’t find room to clearly explain how much bond measures will cost taxpayers. It’s a bogus claim. Let’s look at an example.
In 2024, the Fremont Unified School District placed Measure M, a $919 million bond proposal, on the ballot.
Related: Borenstein: In California, it’s Democrats trying to undermine election integrity
Here is the actual, deliberately confusing ballot wording; an example of how it would be made even worse under a bill pending in the state Legislature; and how it could be more simply written to explain how the bond money would be used, as well as the amount and duration of the property tax needed to retire the bonds.
Current ballot confusion
To repair/upgrade local schools by updating classrooms/ science labs/ classroom technology/ equipment; replacing leaking roofs; replacing outdated, aging/ deteriorating portables with permanent classrooms; acquiring, constructing, repairing classrooms, facilities, sites/ equipment; and replacing inefficient HVAC, electrical/ plumbing systems with updated sustainable systems; shall Fremont Unified School District’s measure authorizing $919,000,000 in bonds at legal rates, levying 4.9¢/ $100 assessed value ($63,000,000 annually) while bonds are outstanding, be adopted, requiring citizen oversight/ audits, and no money for administrators’ salaries?
AB 699 would hide the tax
To repair/upgrade local schools by updating classrooms/ science labs/ classroom technology/ equipment; replacing leaking roofs; replacing outdated, aging/ deteriorating portables with permanent classrooms; acquiring, constructing, repairing classrooms, facilities, sites/ equipment; and replacing inefficient HVAC, electrical/ plumbing systems with updated sustainable systems; shall Fremont Unified School District’s measure be adopted, requiring citizen oversight/ audits, and no money for administrators’ salaries? See county voter guide for detailed tax rate information.
A transparent approach
To repair and upgrade local schools by updating classrooms, technology and science labs; replace leaking roofs, outdated portables with permanent classrooms, and inefficient HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems; shall Fremont Unified School District issue $919,000,000 in bonds, provide independent oversight and audits of spending, and tax property owners an estimated average $49 per $100,000 of assessed value each year until fiscal year 2056-57? (See county voter guide for more-detailed tax rate information.)