Just like in June, there were no arguments submitted against measures on the November ballot, an elections official confirmed this week.
The San Benito County Elections Office conducted its impartial analysis earlier this week on the six measures set for the Nov. 6 ballot. There are arguments in favor of three of those six measures, but none of those items will include arguments in opposition, said Angela Curro, deputy county clerk.
“They were all filed but because there were no arguments against on the measures, there were no rebuttals,” Curro said.
She mentioned how three of them cross over into other counties, where parties are filing opposition arguments, but those arguments will show up only in the counties where they’re filed.
The elections office is in the midst of a 10-day viewing period for those arguments, which can be read here.
Measures include the following:
Measure G – County of San Benito
Roads, Transportation Safety and Investment Plan Transactions and Use Tax (2/3 voter approval required)
Shall the voters authorize a San Benito County Roads and Transportation Safety and Investment Plan to: repair potholes and maintain roads; widen roads; widen Highway 25 to relieve traffic congestion and make it safer; improve pedestrian, bicycle, and transit options; and, qualify for state and federal matching funds by enacting a one cent sales tax, raising approximately $16,000,000 annually over 30 years, with annual audits, independent oversight, all funds spend locally and detailed expenditure plan?
Measure H – County of San Benito
Business License Tax (Majority 50% +1 voter approval required)
To provide and increase law enforcement, fire services, road maintenance, and other local governmental services, shall the proposed business license tax ordinance be adopted and enacted to impose a business license tax at a rate of $30 to $118 per business, $.66 to $7.80 per employee, and $.10 per ton of minerals depleted, indexed by a COLA, in the unincorporated area of San Benito County?\
Measure I – City of San Juan Bautista
Cannabis Ordinance (Majority 50% +1 voter approval required)
Shall an Ordinance adding Title 5, Chapter 5-32 “Cannabis Business Activities Tax Ordinance of the City of San Juan Bautista” to the San Juan Bautista Municipal Code imposing an indefinite tax upon cannabis business activities based on square footage: $3-$12 per foot., increased annually based on Consumer Price Index; on distributors: 0.5%-8%; on manufacturers: 2%-8%; on retailers: 3%-10%; on testing laboratories: 1%-5%; and, on microbusiness: 2%-8%; which revenue can be spent for unrestricted general revenue purposes and may raise $935,000 annually, be adopted?
Measure Q – South Monterey Joint Union High School District
Student Safety/Repair Bond Measure (55% voter approval required)
To upgrade emergency communication systems, safety door locks, security cameras, lighting, repair deteriorating classrooms, restrooms, replace outdated/unsafe portables, electrical wiring, earthquake retrofit classrooms/buildings, construct, acquire, repair classrooms, facilities/equipment, shall this South Monterey County Joint Union High School District measure authorizing $20,000,000 in bonds at legal rates, levying 2 cents/$100 assessed valuation, raising approximately $1,400,000 annually for local schools while bonds are outstanding, be adopted, requiring citizen oversight, audits, without increasing current tax rates?
Measure R – South Monterey Joint Union High School District
Academic/Vocational Classroom Improvement Bond Measure (55% voter approval required)
To upgrade academic, vocational/agriculture education classrooms, replace outdated science, technology/computer labs, provide classrooms for technology careers, remove hazardous materials like asbestos/lead paint, construct, acquire, repair classrooms, facilities/equipment, shall this South Monterey County Joint Union High School District measure authorizing $20,000,000 in bonds at legal rates, levying 2-cents/$100 assessed valuation, approximately $1,400,000 annually for local schools while bonds are outstanding, be adopted, requiring citizen oversight, audits, without increasing current tax rates?
Measure X – Gavilan Joint Community College District
Affordable Education, Job Transfer, Job Training, College Transfer, and Veteran Support Measure (55% voter approval required)
To upgrade classrooms, science, healthcare, technology, engineering/career training labs, repair aging facilities, shall Gavilan Joint Community College District’s measure authorizing $248,000,000 in bonds at legal rates, levying 2 cents/$100 assessed value, $14,000,000 annually while bonds are outstanding, constructing, acquiring, repairing classrooms, facilities, sites/equipment, Veterans Center, adding a campus in San Benito County, improving local access to affordable education, with citizen oversight, all money locally controlled, be approved?
The Full Text of measures filed with San Benito County Elections is available on our website at http://sbcvote.us/registrar-of-voters/local-measures/ or by calling the Department at 831-636-4016 or toll free at 877-777-4017.
-Kollin Kosmicki
