Measure P: Deceptive Ballot Language

From the Alameda County Grand Jury Association:

Measure P
Piedmont USD Parcel Tax

To attract and retain highly qualified teachers and educational support staff and continue funding advanced academic programs, shall Piedmont Unified School District’s measure renewing the school parcel tax for 8 years be adopted at the rate of 50 cents per square foot of building improvements, providing 5 million dollars in annual school funding, with independent citizen oversight and all money locally controlled?

Vote Required: 2/3

Criteria:
1-Intent and structure of tax (i.e. a % or rate for a sales or transfer tax, or a $ per parcel for a parcel tax)
2- Amount of the tax generated per year
3 -Duration of the tax
4- Is this a Special or General tax?
5- Where is the money specifically going? (If a special tax)
6-Is there another similar tax already in place? If so that tax info should be included.

7-Will this take 2/3, vote or simple majority to pass?
8.-Extraneous language unrelated to the matter which could be considered as deceptive to the
voter.

SCORE: 3.4

Comments:

The score was lowered from the maximum of five because of the extraneous verbiage designed to influence a Yes vote such as “all money locally controlled”.

But the more serious concern was the failure to inform voters that there was an existing parcel tax in place.

Calling the proposed new tax a “renewal” is deceptive because the existing tax is 25 cents a square foot, while the new tax is 50 cents a square foot. The doubling of the rate and the resulting cost to taxpayers was not disclosed.