Note from President Todd about the Prop 13 ballot measure on the March ballot.

Hey VTA,

There is some confusion around a ballot measure currently out there and the Schools and Communities First measure that CTA is pushing forward.

There is currently a ballot measure called Prop 13 that is a bond measure for school construction. It isn’t related to the Prop 13 that regulated property taxes and it isn’t related to the Schools and Communities First effort.

It is called Prop 13 because the ballot numbers in California have started over and the number 13 came up again. It won’t change anything about property taxes.

We are currently finishing up gathering signatures for Schools and Communities First and you may see us around campus asking for your support.

Have a great day,

Todd Blanset, VTA President

In addition, please check out this part of a recent email sent by the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce about Prop 13

THIS BALLOT ITEM IS NOT RELATED TO PROPERTY VALUATION LIMITS OR TAX RATES ESTABLISHED IN 1978

What would Proposition 13 use the bond revenue for?

Proposition 13 would authorize $15 billion in bonds for school and college facilities in California, including $9 billion for preschool and K-12 schools, $4 billion for universities, and $2 billion for community colleges.^[1] According to the California Legislative Analyst, the state would make payments totaling an estimated $26 billion, including $15 billion in principal and $11 billion in interest, over 35 years from the General Fund.^[2]

Proposition 13 would also make changes to the formula used to distribute state bond funds to schools, the rules governing local bond measures, and school districts’ abilities to assess developer fees.

When did California last vote on a school facilities bond?

Californians last voted on a school facilities bond measure in 2016, which passed with 55 percent of the vote. The bond measure, titled Proposition 51, issued $7 billion for K-12 education facilities and $2 billion for colleges. Between 1998 and 2019, voters approved five bond measures for school facilities.

Who is behind the campaigns surrounding Proposition 13?

Californians for Safe Schools and Healthy Learning, also known as Yes on Prop 13, is leading the campaign in support of Proposition 13. There were five committees organized to support the ballot measure, which raised a combined $6.29 million. There were zero committees organized to fund opposition to the ballot measure. Opponents include the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.