League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Contra Costa County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
	Measure H Bond Measure City of Martinez 2/3 Approval Required Pass: 12247 / 68.95% Yes votes ...... 5516 / 31.05% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure H

Arguments Against Measure H

Our most valued community facilities, due to age and limited budget, have deteriorated and desperately need our help now. Play equipment no longer meets safety codes. Rankin Pool is in jeopardy of being closed by the County Health Department. Park restrooms are rundown and need replacement. Sidewalks are cracked and unsafe. Fields are riddled with potholes. Measure H improves and preserves our city's parks, recreational facilities, and library. It makes badly needed safety and security improvements by: Replacing unsafe playground equipment with new equipment that meets safety standards Providing urgently needed safety improvements at Rankin Pool to prevent permanent closure Replacing rundown park restrooms, improving accessibility for the disabled, and repairing damaged sidewalks Rehabilitating sports fields and making safety upgrades Measure H nearly doubles usable library space by building access to a future children's reading and learning area, and improving accessibility for the disabled. Measure H improves City parks throughout Martinez, not just the downtown. It improves nearly every park in Martinez, adds new picnic areas for families, and plants new trees and lawns. It protects natural habitats and makes parks more neighborhood friendly by improving parking, security lighting and adding light sheilds to reduce impact on residents. Measure H has built in taxpayer protections to ensure funds are spent wisely and appropriately, It requires independent annual audits, a citizen's oversight committee, and by law, absolutely no money can be used for administrators' salaries. Measure H is a low cost, smart investment. It is focused on repairing and renovating our current park system, instead of creating new projects that we can't afford. Measure H costs the average homeowner $90 a year. This small investment will bring huge returns in our quality of life now and for future generations. Vote YES on Measure H. Visit http://www.yesonH.com Rob Schroder, Mayor    City of Martinez Heather Schaefer, Assistant Regional Commissioner    Pleasant Hill Martinez Soccer Marta Van Loan, President    Friends of the Martinez Library Richard Patchin, Chairperson    Martinez Parks & Recreation Comm. Rebuttal to Arguments For We have many infrastructure needs in Martinez from park improvements to road reconstructions and library improvements. However, our school district is also struggling financially, and an excellent education system is one of our most critical needs. An excellent school system will provide our children with a solid foundation for success in life. An excellent school system will keep our property values high, like our neighbors in Lafayette and Orinda. There is only one reason why their school districts consistently rank higher than ours: they have more money, more resources than Martinez. Bond money for schools should come before bond money for parks! So I ask: "Can you afford increased property taxes for both parks AND schools?" In difficult financial times, we must prioritize. The priority should be on our schools. Measure H is asking you to raise your property taxes so the City can spend over 30 million dollars on park improvements that the City cannot afford to maintain! Furthermore, the City's budget is not growing sufficiently to fund both increased park maintenance and increased public safety. Something has to give. Vote "NO" on Measure H because it's time we prioritized our schools and public safety ahead of parks. Gus S. Kramer    County Assessor John Sparacino    Former Mayor and City Council Member William J. Pollacek    County Treasurer

We have many infrastructure needs in Martinez from park improvements to road reconstructions and library improvements. However, our school district is also struggling financially, and an excellent education system is one of our most critical needs. An excellent school system will provide our children with a solid foundation for success in life. An excellent school system will keep our property values high, like our neighbors in Lafayette and Orinda. There is only one reason why their school districts consistently rank higher than ours: they have more money, more resources than Martinez. Bond money for schools should come before bond money for parks! So I ask: "Can you afford increased property taxes for both parks AND schools?" In difficult financial times, we must prioritize. The priority should be on our schools. Measure H is asking you to raise your property taxes so the City can spend over 30 million dollars on park improvements that the City cannot afford to maintain! Furthermore, the City's budget is not growing sufficiently to fund both increased park maintenance and increased public safety. Something has to give. Vote "NO" on Measure H because it's time we prioritized our schools and public safety ahead of parks. Gus S. Kramer    County Assessor John Sparacino    Former Mayor and City Council Member William J. Pollacek    County Treasurer Rebuttal to Arguments Against Do nothing. That's what the three politicians who oppose Measure H recommend to improve your quality of life. Dozens of community leaders, homeowners, teachers, parents, and our city's children disagree. Now is the time to invest in improving Martinez's quality of life. Here are the facts: Our playground equipment no longer meets safety codes. The County Health Department will close Rankin Pool because of required safety improvements Park restrooms are rundown and need replacement. Measure H addresses these needs and more. Measure H is consistent with our children's educational needs, not in opposition to them. The California School Board Association urges school districts to connect with City parks to expand recreation and physical activity for children. Measure H ensures children have positive afterschool activities through youth sports and recreation. Measure H builds access to and improves the children's reading and learning area at the library. Older buildings and fields are costly to repair and maintain. Measure H saves the City significant money on energy and maintenance costs, providing the City with the opportunity to redirect savings to other priorities such as police services. Measure H improves City parks throughout Martinez, not just the downtown. It requires independent annual audits, a citizen's oversight committee and no money goes towards administrators' salaries. The question is not "how can we afford to fix parks?" It's, "how can we afford not to?" Vote Yes to improve our parks and library for today's residents and children and future generations. Marta Van Loan, President       Friends of Martinez Library Phil Raines, President     Martinez Little League Ryan Miller     ASB Vice President AHS

Tax Rate Statement from the City Manager

An election will be held in the City of Martinez on November 4, 2008 to authorize the sale of up to $30,000,000 in general obligation bonds of the City to finance park, library, and pool improvements and renovations. If such bonds are approved, the City expects to sell the bonds in two series. Principal and interest on the bonds will be payable from the proceeds of tax levies made upon the taxable property in the City. The following information is provided in compliance with Sections 9400-9404 of the California Elections Code. 1. The best estimate of the tax rate that would be required to be levied to fund the bond issue during the first fiscal year after the first sale of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $0.018 per $100 ($18.09 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2009-10. 2. The best estimate of the tax rate that would be required to be levied to fund the bond issue during the fiscal year after the sale of the last series of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $0.035 per $100 ($34.71 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2011-12. 3. The best estimate of the highest tax rate that would be required to be levied to fund the bond issue, based upon estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $0.035 per $100 ($34.71 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2011-12. Voters should note that estimated tax rates are based on ASSESSED VALUE of taxable property on the County's official tax rolls, not on the property's market value, which could be more or less than the assessed value. Attention of all voters is directed to the fact that the foregoing is based upon the City's projections and estimates only, which are not binding upon the City. The actual tax rates and years in which they will apply may vary depending upon the timing of bond sales, the amount of bonds sold at each sale, market interest rates at the time of each bond sale, and actual assessed valuations over the term of repayment of the bonds. The actual timing of bond sales and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the needs of the City. The actual interest rates on any bonds sold will depend upon market conditions and other factors at the time of sale. Actual assessed valuations will depend upon the amount and value of taxable property within the City as determined in the assessment and equalization process. Accordingly, the actual tax rates and the years in which such rates are applicable may vary from those presently estimated as stated above. Dated: 7/28/08 Philip Vince City Manager City of Martinez