Posts
It's looking just about certain that local small businesses will be suing the school district over the Measure H parcel tax, because they feel the tax burden falls too heavily on them. The Sun's Marc Albert has an extensive interview with the attorney they've hired, David Brillant, who says the suit will be filed Monday.
Fellowblogger Rob Siltanen reported earlier this week that the suit was in the offing, and he said that if local businesses do sue, it would be financially devastating for the district. And he said supporters of the measure, which *just* passed with 66.9 percent of the vote, could boycott businesses involved in the suit.
Over the weekend, we spoke with Pauline Kelly, owner of Pauline's Antiques, and Debbie George, owner of Pillow Park Plaza, both of whom have been rumored to be linked to the suit; they were quick to declaim involvement (though Kelly did confirm the suit was going to happen). From what we understand, whoever is involved with getting the suit filed is looking for someone who they think would be a worst-case example of a business hurt by the tax to serve as a plaintiff.
The four-year tax would result in a $120 annual charge to homeowners and 15 cents per square foot for commercial property owners up to $9,500.
More to come ... by the way, Lauren Do's weighed in this too, here, as has John Knox White, here.
The Alameda Unified School District’s finance chief laid out the impacts of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal for next year, and they are grim. Under the proposal, the district could lose more than $4 million in state funding for the current year and 2009-2010. And that’s not counting the $650,000 it will lose when the new Nea Community Learning Center charter school opens next year, taking an anticipated 250 students off the district’s rolls.
If the governor’s plan were to be enacted, the district could face layoffs and even the loss of five days of the school year, district chief financial officer Tim Rahill said, though it could allow the district to take money out of “categorical” programs – money that is designated for specific programs that can’t be used for any other purpose.
Declining enrollment and increasing costs – Rahill said worker’s compensation costs, for example, will probably rise – will also impact the district’s budget.
“Alameda is facing a state budget crisis. We are facing the opening of a charter school. Also, we’re experiencing declining enrollment,” Rahill said.
He said parcel tax dollars generated by the passage of Measure H could also be used to help cover the cuts, if the board wishes to use those. This year, the district is slated to get $4 million in Measure H tax funds, and it has only budgeted $1.2 million of that.
Schwarzenegger has proposed a number of additional taxes to bridge $31.3 billion in budget shortfalls between the 2007-08 and 2009-10 fiscal years.
The district wants your input on its budget situation. They’ve scheduled budget workshops for February 11 and April 2. We’ll update you when times and locations are available.
If the governor’s plan were to be enacted, the district could face layoffs and even the loss of five days of the school year, district chief financial officer Tim Rahill said, though it could allow the district to take money out of “categorical” programs – money that is designated for specific programs that can’t be used for any other purpose.
Declining enrollment and increasing costs – Rahill said worker’s compensation costs, for example, will probably rise – will also impact the district’s budget.
“Alameda is facing a state budget crisis. We are facing the opening of a charter school. Also, we’re experiencing declining enrollment,” Rahill said.
He said parcel tax dollars generated by the passage of Measure H could also be used to help cover the cuts, if the board wishes to use those. This year, the district is slated to get $4 million in Measure H tax funds, and it has only budgeted $1.2 million of that.
Schwarzenegger has proposed a number of additional taxes to bridge $31.3 billion in budget shortfalls between the 2007-08 and 2009-10 fiscal years.
The district wants your input on its budget situation. They’ve scheduled budget workshops for February 11 and April 2. We’ll update you when times and locations are available.
posted by Michele Ellson at 9:00 AM on Jan 28, 2009
0 Comments:
Post a Comment