CST Recommendations: November 2024 Marin, Bay Area, and State Tax Measures
Marin Measures
Fairfax road bond – $30/$100K assessed value – Big new tax on same ballot as TUHSD bonds. Ross Valley School District parcel tax coming soon too.
→Vote NO
Novato FOREVER sales tax – increase of 0.75%
→Vote NO
Kentfield School District Bond – $30/$100k assessed value. This will be KSD’s THIRD bond outstanding, funding a laundry list of deferred & future maintenance.
→Vote NO
Sausalito-Marin City School District parcel tax – Needed & fair: $0.15 per building area sq ft, 8 years
→Vote YES
Mill Valley sales tax – 10 year increase of 1.00% for infrastructure
→Vote YES
Tam Union HS District facilities bond – $249MM retry at $18/$100K assessed value
→Neutral. Lower tax than 1st try. Reversing academic slide would be better use of $.
San Rafael Library & community facilities parcel tax – 30 years. $0.145/sq ft of improved property. Needs only 50%+1 to pass. Worthy project but evaded need for 2/3 approval by paying initiative signature gatherers.
→Neutral.
Bay Area Measures
RM4 Bay Area “Unaffordable” Housing bond – 53 years! – Levy averages $19/$100K assessed value annually but peaks at $34/$100K
→DEFEATED with our help! Measure withdrawn amid voter backlash & lawsuits
State Ballot Propositions
All Require Simple Majority to Pass
Proposition 5: Unleashes a tax tsunami. Lowers hurdle to pass most local bonds to 55% from 2/3.
Vote NO: Making it easier to pass new taxes fuels a tax money grab. This worsens CA’s affordability crisis. Prop 5 removes taxpayer protections; expect other blows to follow.
PROP 5’S PASSAGE WOULD UNLEASH A DRAMATIC SURGE IN NEW TAXES
Proposition 2: Borrow $10 billion to build schools. After cutting school funding, legislature proposes borrowing to pay for construction and modernization.
Vote NO: Adds $1/2 billion yearly to expenses of CA general fund (currently in deficit). Requires local matching funds, increasing the tax burden and favoring wealthy districts.
Proposition 4: Borrow $10 billion for climate programs. A jumble of projects many of which don’t build or repair long-lived assets.
Vote NO: Issues $10 billion in debt to offset $9.4 billion in current year cuts to CA’s Climate Crisis program owing to state budget deficits. Costs $400MM/year for 40 years.
Proposition 33: Allow local governments to impose rent controls. Reverses state law preventing cities & counties from controlling rents on properties occupied post 2/1/95.
Vote NO: Rent control reduces property values, available rentals & housing construction. Lower property tax revenues (per LAO) will prompt other tax hikes.
Future Measures Being Developed:
Bay Area Housing Bond 2nd try – 2026 – specifics TBD
Bay Area Regional Transportation tax – 2026 – specifics TBD
Marin Health Hospital bond – $24/$100K?
Ross Valley School District parcel tax increase – per square foot
SMART sales tax renewal – using citizen initiative route (50%+1)
Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority parcel tax renewal – per square foot