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MEASURE A OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED

David Mills
The Emeryville Connection Staff
July 2007

It’s not easy to get 87 percent of a community to agree on something.

But that’s what happened on June 5 in Emeryville.

Almost nine out of every ten people who went to the polls that day voted in favor of Measure A to fund Emeryville schools.

The measure, which takes effect July 1, extends the parcel tax until June 2017.

“I feel we now have a clear mandate to continue the work we’ve been doing,” said Emery School Superintendent Tony Smith. “The community made a statement to keep pushing forward on our vision.”

The current parcel tax, approved in 2003, raises $1.5 million a year. The new tax, with its higher rate, is expected to bring in more than $2.2 million a year. That’s a healthy percentage of the district’s annual $9 million budget.

Smith says the parcel tax will be used to expand the district’s visual and performing arts programs as well as boost its science classes. It’ll also continue to pay for librarians and music teachers. The additional funding will also allow the district to enhance its “wellness program” by bringing more nurses and social workers to Emery Secondary and Anna Yates Elementary schools. There are also plans to start a family resource center.

The parcel tax won’t be used for pay raises because it does have a sunset clause. However, Smith says the extra money can be used for recruitment and other measures to bring in and keep quality educators. He said the approval of Measure A also sends a positive message to students.

“They definitely feel there is support from the community,” he said.

Measure A was endorsed by the Emery school board and the teachers union as well as the City Council. The Chamber of Commerce board of directors unanimously endorsed the measure, even though business owners in the city bear 80 percent of the tax’s financial burden. The Alameda County Central Labor Council also threw its weight behind the parcel tax. Congresswoman Barbara Lee and state Assemblywoman Loni Hancock also supported the measure.

“This was truly a collaborative effort,” said John Gooding, a Chamber board member and president of the Emery Ed Fund.

Gooding adds parcel tax measures pass about 50 percent of the time in upper-income communities in California. However, it is rare for such a tax to be approved in more urban regions, much less with 87 percent of the vote.

“That makes what happened in Emeryville really remarkable,” Gooding said.

The passage of the local measure also makes it easier for Emeryville schools to obtain state and federal funding. Hancock and Lee both said after the election if state and federal regulators see a local community willing to tax itself for schools, that district has a better chance of getting money from regional and national legislators.

Community leaders said the widespread endorsement of Measure A occurred because voters know the entire city benefits from a well-funded school district.

“I think everybody understands that to have a great community, you have to have a great educational system,” said Kurt Brinkman, a member of the school board and the chamber board.

An 87 percent approval rating makes that point clearly.

David Mills is a writer for The Emeryville Connection.

If you have a question or comment, please contact him at ecocnews@gmail.com