East Bay Election Results Show Love for Schools, Parks
Voting out in the East Bay was far more limited than the big race, alphabet soup that was San Francisco Tuesday, but we’ve been keeping an eye on some key measures in parts of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. You can check our endorsements against the results and to see how lined up with voters on the other side of the bridge.
Alameda County: Piedmont
Measure G — Piedmont Unified School District parcel tax: Yes
The measure passed with a whopping 81 percent of voter approval, putting it safely in the required two-thirds zone. The expected $10.8 million revenue generated by the tax will go toward funding programs, updated class material and technology, keeping class sizes down and retaining teachers. It was basically an extension of another tax that was set to expire in June 2021.
Measure H — Piedmont Unified School District building improvements parcel tax: Yes
The purpose of Measure H is basically the same as Measure G, it just generates additional revenue based on parcel tax related to building improvements outside of the normal annual property tax bill.
We gave both measures our endorsement and it looks like Piedmont voters agreed. Congrats to the students!
Contra Costa County
Measure L — Brentwood land development, Urban Line Limit: No
This one is a bit “out there” for us, but we thought it was important to keep an eye on, considering that people keep moving out further down Highway 4. We didn’t make an endorsement on this measure, because, well…it was little convoluted for people to grasp who not directly in the area and the punch seemed to be spiked with some special interests. It basically would have moved out the urban limit line and allowed for a major development of primarily senior housing. It would have modified an agricultural area of about 815 acres with some perks thrown in for the not-so-senior population.
More than 71 percent of Brentwood voters rejected the deal.
Measure H — El Cerrito parcel tax for Parks and Recreation: Yes
We gave this one a thumbs up and it turns out El Cerrito residents agreed by a pretty hefty margin. Nearly 80 percent of voters passed the measure, which extends a previous tax that would have otherwise expired in June 2020. The revenue will be used to maintain and enhance the city’s urban green spaces, playgrounds, facilities for seniors and children, pathways, irrigation systems and all sorts of goodies to keep recreational spaces in El Cerrito safe and happy for all those who live there.
In summary, it was a win for some East Bay schools and parks, and fat loss for developers. Until next time…
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