Both Piedmont School Parcel Taxes Approved Overwhelmingly by Voters
Piedmont voters cast their votes on Measures G and H at the November 5, 2019 Special Election for the Piedmont Unified School District parcel taxes. Both Measures G and H readily received the required 2/3 rds (66 2/3%) approval by those voting continuing the Piedmont tradition of strong local support for Piedmont schools. Approval for the measures was:
82.69% for Measure G
74.34% for Measure H
Measure G is essentially a continuation of the existing parcel tax of $2,763 per year per parcel with a likely 2% increase each year over the eight year term of the measure.
Measure H is a new and additional flat tax based on the habitable space on each parcel in Piedmont taxed at 25 cents per square foot of improved habitable space on a parcel during the eight year term of the measure.
Community volunteers supporting the measures, primarily parents of students, made an all out effort to personally contact each Piedmont voter, in addition to sending several glossy mailers to all voting households explaining the reasons to support the measures for the schools. Lawn signs for G & H were placed throughout the city.
No opposition was officially filed against the measures, although opposition was explained through various media sources, including editorial disapproval by some regional newspapers emphasizing funding disparities with other school districts.
Concern was also expressed over the demands placed on taxpayers, particularly seniors, and the fact that the parcel taxes under new federal tax laws were unlikely to be tax deductible.
Voting results based on those voting:
G YES 3,416 82.69% NO 715 17.31 %
H YES 3,059 74.34% NO 1,056 25.66%
There are 8,647 voters in Piedmont, of which 7,066 are permanent vote by mail voters, or 81.7 % of the Piedmont voters. Over 4,000 Piedmont voters cast their ballots on November 5, 2019 making the turnout by voters close to 50%. A small number of provisional ballots are yet to be counted. Updated 11/8/19
UPDATE: NOVEMBER 8, 2019 – The following percentage of Piedmont voters is incorrect, as reported by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. For no known reasons, the Registrar combined voters in Dublin with those in Piedmont, therefore disregard the following data.
Alameda County Registrar of Voters Reported:
Total Voter Registration per Alameda County Registrar of Voters: 13,259 [Incorrect, as this reports Piedmont and Dublin voters. ]
| Turnout | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
Vote by Mail Reporting Ballots Cast |
4,324 |
32.61 % |
Election Day Reporting Ballots Cast |
477 |
3.60 % |
Total Ballots Cast |
4,801 |
36.21% |
PUSD Families,
I am so thrilled to report that the Piedmont Community passed both Measures G & H. Your continued commitment to a robust public education is incredible! I want to thank the countless parent, staff, and student volunteers for all of their support and civic engagement over the past few months. It was encouraging to be a part of a community-wide conversation about our schools and how we support teaching and learning.
I fully recognize and am grateful for the commitment that families have made in our school system. I will continue to work closely with the Board of Education, teachers, staff, families, and students to ensure that Piedmont’s schools not only continue to provide excellence in education, but that we also continue to grow and improve in how we educate students.
Please join me in also thanking and acknowledging the election staff from the City of Piedmont. Their efforts ensured a smooth election day!
On behalf of all of the teachers, support staff, and administrators, thank you for your support and engagement with our incredible district.
Sincerely,
Randall Booker, Superintendent
If there were 4801 Piedmont citizens voting in the special election and if the turnout was 36.21% , the voter rolls should total 13,300. However the population of Piedmont is only 10,800. Am I missing something or are the voter rolls for the city inflated?
Editors Note: PCA also wondered about the number of Piedmont registered voters reported on Election evening. It looks like the Dublin registered voters number was reported for Piedmont.