Permanent or long-term tax is on the table –

At its meeting on October 10, the Piedmont School Board discussed the next school parcel tax measure, which may have a much different structure than in the past.  Immediate public input was urged repeatedly, prior to the Board’s anticipated final approval of the ballot measure on November 28.  Changes will be difficult after that date.  (Emails provided below.)

Changes and options discussed by School Board members included:

• Permanent tax
• Tax with a 6, 8, or 10 year term
• Flat tax with no escalator (not more than $2,088-$3,547 level)
• Possible escalators (2-3% cap or an inflation index)
• 2-part tax (a permanent baseline flat base tax and a supplemental tax)
• “large” supplement if state tax measures fail (on the scale of $3 million Measure E)
• Exemptions based on age or income
• Legal restrictions on parcel size-based tax  
• Continuation of Citizens Advisory Committee
• 4-year renewal
  

Each School Member offered his or her preliminary thoughts.

Andrea Swenson:  “hopes for” a flat tax of 6-8-10 years or permanent, preferably with an income exemption.

Rick Raushenbush:  “open to” a long-term or permanent tax; noted it was a problem to have both a long-term tax and an escalator; noted legal issues with exemptions.

Ray Gadbois:  pointed out advantages to stability of a longer-term tax; “open to” different options for an escalator at a lower growth rate tied to inflation index, noted opportunities to increase accountability through polls, surveys or annual public meeting; noted legal problems with an income-based exemption and parcel-sized based tax.

Roy Tolles:  Mentioned a 6 year or permanent tax, a 3% cap, making increases more “upfront”, and limiting exemptions to the supplement above a baseline tax.

Sarah Pearson:  “leaning toward” a permanent tax, may be time to test the voters

An additional “large” supplement if Propositions 30 and 38 fail?

Consideration of a “large” supplemental parcel tax on the scale of the $3 million Measure E if state tax measures (Propositions 30 and 38) fail was mentioned repeatedly by Board members.  Options previously identified by Superintendent Constance Hubbard to create $3-4 million dollars in additional cost reductions were not raised by any Board member. 

The Board encouraged the public to participate at the next Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting on October 23, as well as the next 2 Board meetings on October 24 and November 14.  The BAC meeting offers a relatively informal format for public input.  It was noted that, after November 28, changes will be difficult to make.

Comments offered by each Board Member: > Click to read more…

A special meeting of the Piedmont Unified School District Budget Advisory Committee will be held Tuesday, October 23, 2012 from  6:00 – 7:30 p.m. in the District Office Board Room, 760 Magnolia Avenue.

The meeting scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 25, was canceled and rescheduled for Tuesday, October 23. The evening meeting will provide an opportunity for the community to give input on the proposal for the School Support Tax.  Recommendations for the tax will be discussed and referred to the School Board for consideration at their meeting on Wednesday, October 24, 2012.

AGENDA
1. Welcome – Superintendent Constance Hubbard
2. Discussion of School Support Tax Election – March 2013

The public is invited to attend and participate in this meeting.

Opponents’ Claims Defy Logic –

We’re fortunate to live in a city that has beautiful, well-maintained parks, a superior recreation program for our kids, wonderful fire and police protection. I don’t know why anybody would want to jeopardize the excellent services we have by voting against measure Y. Opponents of the tax claim all they want is that services would not have to be cut if the city budget was cut by more than 7%, but their claims defy logic.

> Click to read more…

Council support for Measure Y was not unanimous-

There you go again, Measure Y proponents. Continuing to misinform and mislead Piedmont voters. At the outset, there was the completely false claim in your ballot argument in the Voter Information Pamphlet that, “The City Council unanimously supports renewal of the existing Municipal Services Tax . . . “. Even when the proponents acknowledged their material misstatement, when there was time to correct the submission, they chose not to do so. To let the statement stand is an egregious, misleading act.  > Click to read more…

The League of Women Voters of California recommends Yes or No votes on five measures on the November 6 statewide ballot –

YES on Prop 30: Proposition 30 begins to move California toward financial stability and adequate funding for all the services we want from our government; we can’t continue to cut vital public services such as schools and public safety.

NO on Prop 31: Proposition 31 is based on good intentions and has some pieces that, taken alone, the League could support. However, Proposition 31 has several significant flaws and raises questions about whether or not the provisions allow local governments to suspend state environmental requirements.

NO on Prop 32: This measure is not the campaign finance reform measure its proponents say it is. Proposition 32 promises “political reform” but is actually designed by special interests to help themselves and harm their opponents. It unfairly targets one set of large campaign donors while giving other donors unlimited power.

YES on Prop 34: The SAFE California Act will replace the death penalty in California with a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Convicted killers will stay in prison for the rest of their lives, eliminating the possibility of executing an innocent person in California. It will save over $100 million every year— because the court and incarceration costs are so much higher for prisoners at risk for a death penalty.

YES on Prop 40: One last step to lock in independent redistricting for California. The League strongly urges a “YES” vote on this referendum on the state Senate maps drawn by the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. The question on a referendum is not intuitive; it asks if you want to retain the new law, or in this case, the maps drawn by the Citizens Redistricting Commission.  Vote YES to affirm the maps drawn by the Citizens Redistricting Commission.

NEUTRAL on Prop 38 & Prop 39: Adequate revenue to provide for the public good is critically needed. The League supports Prop 30 on this ballot as the best way to provide some relief from the endless cutting of vital government services. We see some merit in Propositions 38 and 39, but have taken a neutral position on them because of their earmarking of revenues.

For more detailed information on the recommendations, go to www.lwvc.org and click on Ballot Recommendations.  The League has not studied the issues in Propositions 33, 35, 36 and 37, and therefore has no recommendations.

Editors’ Note:  The opinions expressed are those of the League of Women Voters of California.  The Piedmont Civic Association does not support or oppose ballot measures or candidates.

ramp awaits handrail

handrail and stairs

 Construction of the new access ramp and stair improvements to the temporary Piedmont Avenue Library, on the grounds of the Piedmont Avenue Elementary School, is progressing.

The September opening was delayed, and the library is now scheduled to close its current location on 41st Street on Saturday, October 27, and transfer the books and other collections over the following weeks to the new site on the school playground.

Since the construction of necessary access was not completed in September, the official opening on the school playground will be November 27.

Saturday, October 27^th is also the date of the Piedmont Avenue Halloween Parade.  The Friends of the Piedmont Avenue Library plan to dress as books and lead the parade from the 41^st Street library building to the modular units on Echo Avenue that will serve as the temporary library.

Good News from STAR Test Results –

Message from Jeanne Donovan, Principal Piedmont Middle School

We have great news to report regarding the STAR results for the 2011-12 school year at Piedmont Middle School:

PMS’s Academic Performance Index score (API) from last spring’s STAR testing increased from a score of 943 to 966, a 23-point gain. The API is a single number that ranges from 200 to 1000, and reflects a school’s performance level based on the results of statewide testing. Its purpose is to measure the academic performance and growth of schools. PMS also met all Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) criteria including participation rate, percent proficient, and API score.

I attribute our success in the STAR results to many factors.  Our teachers have embraced a more collaborative teacher evaluation system, and are taking advantage of common planning time to share strategies and learn from each other’s successes.  Throughout the school there is an increased focus on collaboration within and between departments, in order to improve student learning.

Teachers are also using our data management program, Data Director, to look closely at the specific data within content clusters of the STAR test.  Looking closely at these data helps teachers develop, refine, and restructure their teaching in order to address specific areas of need.

The extremely generous contributions of parents are also a huge factor in our success.  Given the uncertainties of funding from the State, it is the parent contributions that allow us to continue to improve our excellent program.  Donations to the Giving Campaign, the School Support Tax, the Piedmont Education Foundation, and ongoing parent support of state funding initiatives are all vital to the strength of our program.  Adding to this are the countless hours and amazing dedication of our parent volunteers.  It is this partnership between parents, school and administration that leads to success.

Please keep in mind that STAR is only one indicator of either our school’s or any individual student’s annual academic progress. Teachers also look at other forms of assessment, such as common assessments, formative assessments, and benchmark assessments.  As seriously as we take grades and test scores, it is of equal importance to our staff to stay focused on the healthy emotional, physical, and social development of our students.

Editors’ Note:  The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Piedmont Civic Association.

From a Member of Piedmont League of Women Voters Undergrounding Task Force –

Voting no on Measure Y is not about opposition to taxes or antagonism towards city government, nor is it about ingratitude for all the benefits of living in Piedmont.  I believe it’s about “tough love” — setting limits for the sake of preventing unconstructive, ultimately self- destructive behavior.  It’s sending a clear message of the need for restraint, redirection and problem solving, rather than simply reacting.   The Task Force for the Piedmont Hills Undergrounding District, which I served on, spent many hours researching and identifying the factors that contributed to this project’s $2 million dollar financial fiasco. Among these were inadequate or absent  risk management policies, insufficient oversight, lack of transparency in decision making, and lack of planning and appropriate systemic procedures for dealing with the potential problems associated with major construction projects.  If one reviews the time line of events building to that significant cost to the city and the taxpayers, one sees a sequence of “just this one time” attitudes–  repeated reactivity,  rather than thoughtful problem solving in a devolving situation, a situation which might have been avoided or minimized by planning and anticipation, and by specifying limits clearly.

> Click to read more…

 Tax Helps Pay for Many Special Elements in Piedmont –

Since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1980, the residents of Piedmont have realized that for our community to have the things that we as a community value, we needed a City Services Tax.  Our city has had such a tax since 1980, and we have continuously renewed it for the past thirty-two years.  The tax is up for renewal this year and is on our ballot as MEASURE Y.  It will be at the end of your ballot and is not an increase over the past four years.  I urge you to vote YES ON MEASURE Y.  > Click to read more…