Monte Rio Union Elementary Schools: Vote Yes on Measure J Bonds - Sonoma County - 2018 General Election
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Why didn't Monte Rio Union Elementary tell you specifically what it will do with the $3,300,000 in Measure J?

We Could Really Use Your Help!

Real Grassroots Against Measure J

Visit our web page.

Send us a message.

Give us a call (or send a text) 909-378-5401.

  Commentary    Question    Analysis    Argument in Favor    Argument Against    Full Text    Tax Rate    Resolution    Notice  

Commentary on Measure J

#HonestBallots Movement

Your Sonoma County Registrar of Voters printed and circulated ballots for this measure that didn't conform to the law. The registrar ignored our Notice and Demand to follow the law. The legislature makes this a crime. (See: How 25 County Registrars Committed A Crime.)

If you want to get really steamed up about the collusion between your Registrar and Monte Rio Union Elementary Schools to lie and cheat in order to steal your taxes, you can read the letter for yourself.

Do you want to give this district a Thanksgiving surprise? Please call or text me (with #HonestBalllots, Sonoma, 0625410, and your name) at 909-378-5401 right now for details. It's urgent and very time-sensitive.

Are you sure you want vote to support this extravagant measure? It has no accountability.

This campaign was designed by Isom Advisors. We figured out just the right words to get you to you to open up your checkbook.

We'd also like to introduce you to our partners -- bond lawyers, brokers, wealthy investors, architects, management firms, construction companies, and trade unions. We all stand to make a ton of money on these bonds. Our profits come right off the top, before a penny is actually spent on improving the facilities.

We're not just doing it for the money. We like to show off our work in Architectural Digest and other places where the rich and famous congregate.

Remember, we've taken a lot of risk. We gave money to get your governing board members elected, so they'd be sure to remember us when we came around for a hand-out later.

It's just business-as-usual, here in sunny Corruptifornia.

Please don't read the fine print. That's just put in by the lawyers to make what we're going to do to for you legal.

When you see highlighting in the documents below, it to see the commentary.

  Commentary    Question    Analysis    Argument in Favor    Argument Against    Full Text    Tax Rate    Resolution    Notice  

Measure J Question

To improve the quality of education; replace outdated heating and ventilation systems; repair or replace leaky roofs; and modernize outdated classrooms, restrooms and school facilities; shall Monte Rio Union Elementary School District issue $3,300,000 of bonds at legal rates, generating on average $234,000 annually for issued bonds through maturity from levies of approximately $0.03 per $100 assessed value, with annual audits, independent citizens' oversight committee, no money for salaries and all money for local schools?

  Commentary    Question    Analysis    Argument in Favor    Argument Against    Full Text    Tax Rate    Resolution    Notice  

Impartial Analysis for Measure J

COUNTY COUNSEL'S IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF MEASURE J
Cal i for nia law per mits school dis tricts to is sue bonds to pay for con struc tion, re pair,
replacement, and acquisition of school facilities provided 55 percent of voters who
vote on the mea sure ap prove the sale of the bonds. The Monte Rio Un ion El e men -
tary School Dis trict Gov ern ing Board has placed on the bal lot the ques tion of
whether to is sue $3,300,000 in bonds for such pur poses.
Money raised by bond sales may only be used for the pur poses and pro jects stated
in the Bond Pro ject List set forth in Mea sure J, fol low ing this anal y sis. Pro ceeds
could be used to mod ern ize, ren o vate, con struct, ac quire, equip, ex pand, or oth er -
wise im prove ed u ca tional and sup port fa cil i ties. The Bond Pro ject List in cludes a
complete list of pro jects and al lowed ex pen di tures. As re quired by law, Mea sure J
prohibits using bond proceeds for teacher or administrator salaries or other operating
expenses.
The Governing Board has cer ti fied that it eval u ated safety, class size, and in for ma tion
technology needs in de vel op ing the Bond Pro ject List. In clu sion of a pro ject on the
Bond Pro ject List does not guarantee it will be funded or com pleted. The Dis trict may
seek State funds to aug ment Bond pro ceeds to ad vance the Bond Pro ject List. The
Governing Board will establish the priority and or der in which pro jects are undertaken.
If adopted, Mea sure J in cludes “Ac count abil ity Safe guards” that re quire the Gov -
erning Board to: annually conduct independent financial and performance audits;
establish an Independent Citizens’ Over sight Committee; and main tain bond pro -
ceeds in a sep a rate ac count in the County Trea sury. Mea sure J fur ther re quires Dis -
trict Su per in ten dent to pro vide an an nual re port to the Board on the sta tus of pro jects
un der taken and the amount of bond pro ceeds re ceived and expended in each year.
If ap proved, Mea sure J au tho rizes Monte Rio Un ion El e men tary School Dis trict to
is sue and sell gen eral ob li ga tion bonds in se ries, at dif fer ent times, as pro jects are
un der taken. Bonds of any se ries must ma ture within the stat u tory max i mum num -
ber of years from date of is sue. The in ter est rate on the bonds will de pend on the
mar ket rate at the time bonds are sold, but can not ex ceed the max i mum rate set by
law. Bonds will be re paid from prop erty taxes lev ied on real prop erty within the Dis -
trict based on the value of land and im prove ments on each prop erty. Those taxes
would be in ad di tion to cur rent prop erty taxes on real prop erty within the Dis trict.
The amount of tax needed each year will de pend upon the amount needed to re pay
out stand ing prin ci pal and in ter est. The Dis trict’s Tax Rate State ment, which fol -
lows this anal y sis, es ti mates the high est tax rate nec es sary to fund the bonds is
$30 per $100,000 of as sessed value. Those tax lev ies are pro jec tions, and could
go up or down, de pend ing on a num ber of fac tors in clud ing the tim ing and amount
of bond sales, and changes in as sessed prop erty val ues in the Dis trict.
If all bonds are sold, the to tal debt ser vice (in clud ing prin ci pal and in ter est) will be
$7,000,000. The tax will raise ap prox i mately $234,000 an nu ally.
A “yes” vote on Mea sure J will au tho rize the Dis trict to is sue the bonds and levy
taxes to pay for the in debt ed ness. A “no” vote on Mea sure J will not au tho rize ei ther
the is su ance of bonds or the as so ci ated levy of taxes.
BRUCE D. GOLDSTEIN
County Coun sel
By: s/ Rob ert Pittman
As sis tant County Coun sel

  Commentary    Question    Analysis    Argument in Favor    Argument Against    Full Text    Tax Rate    Resolution    Notice  

Argument in Favor of Measure J

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF MEASURE J
Our el e men tary school is the most im por tant as set in our com mu nity and should be
our num ber one pri or ity. Qual ity schools im prove stu dent achieve ment, in crease
property val ues, pre pare chil dren for a pro duc tive fu ture, and cre ate greater neighborhood
safety. Our teach ers and staff do a great job ed u cat ing lo cal chil dren, but
many class rooms and build ings in the Monte Rio Un ion School Dis trict are outdated
and in ad e quate to pro vide chil dren with the school fa cil i ties they need to suc ceed.
Our school is out dated and ma jor up grades and ren o va tions need to be made.
While fa cil i ties have been well main tained, ag ing class rooms must be up graded
since many do not meet 21st cen tury stan dards. Mea sure J would al low the Dis trict
to im prove our el e men tary school and the quality of ed u ca tion pro vided to lo cal
chil dren. By in vest ing in our school, we can meet to day’s safety, tech no log i cal, and
ed u ca tional stan dards as well as better our community.
If passed, Mea sure J will pro vide fund ing to make crit i cal fa cil ity im prove ments to
Monte Rio Union Elementary School including: replacing outdated heating and
ventilation systems, repairing or replacing leaky roofs, improving energy-efficiency
by install ing solar panels, moderniz ing and renovat ing outdated classrooms,
restrooms and school fa cil i ties, and im prov ing P.E. fields for school and com mu nity
use.
Mea sure J makes fi nan cial sense and pro tects tax pay ers. By law, spend ing must
be reviewed and annually audited by an independent citizens’ oversight commit -
tee. All bond funds must be spent lo cally and can not be taken by the State. Also,
funds are re quired to be spent only on our school, not for ad min is tra tor or teacher
salaries.
Measure J upgrades and renovates old and inadequate school facilities, improves
the ed u ca tion of lo cal chil dren, and main tains the qual ity of our com mu nity. That’s
some thing we can all sup port. Please join us and Vote Yes On Measure J!
Ss/ Dan Fein
Pres i dent, Monte Rio FPD
Ss/ Ste phen K. Baxman
Fire Chief MR Fire Dis trict
Ss/ Kristin Thurman
Retired Business Owner
Ss/ Sherry L Pimsler
Adminis trator, MRRPD
Ss/ Barbara Bickford
School District Superintendent

  Commentary    Question    Analysis    Argument in Favor    Argument Against    Full Text    Tax Rate    Resolution    Notice  

Argument Against Measure J

NO ARGUMENT AGAINST WAS SUBMITTED AGAINS MEASURE J

  Commentary    Question    Analysis    Argument in Favor    Argument Against    Full Text    Tax Rate    Resolution    Notice  

Full Text of Measure J

FULL TEXT OF MEASURE J
BOND AUTHORIZATION
By ap proval of Mea sure ____ by at least 55 per cent of the reg is tered vot ers vot ing
on the mea sure, the Monte Rio Un ion El e men tary School Dis trict will be au tho rized
to is sue and sell bonds of up to $3.3 mil lion in ag gre gate prin ci pal amount at in ter -
est rates not to ex ceed le gal lim its and to pro vide fi nanc ing for the spe cific types of
school fa cil i ties pro jects listed in the Bond Pro ject List de scribed be low, sub ject to
all the accountability requirements spec ified below.
ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS
The pro vi sions in this sec tion are spe cif i cally in cluded in this mea sure in or der that
the vot ers and tax pay ers in the Dis trict may be as sured that their money will be
spent wisely. Ex pen di tures to ad dress spe cific fa cil i ties needs of the Dis trict will be
in com pli ance with the re quire ments of Ar ti cle XIII A, Sec tion 1(b)(3), of the State
Con sti tu tion and the Strict Ac count abil ity in Lo cal School Con struc tion Bonds Act
of 2000 (cod i fied at Ed u ca tion Code Sec tions 15264 and fol low ing.)
Evaluation of Needs. The School Board has iden ti fied de tailed fa cil i ties needs of
the Dis trict and has de ter mined which pro jects to fi nance from a lo cal bond. The
School Board hereby cer ti fies that it has eval u ated safety, class size re duc tion,
enrollment growth, and information technology needs in developing the Bond Pro -
ject List shown be low.
Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee. Following approval of this measure,
the Board of Trustees will establish an Independent Citizens’ Over sight Committee,
un der Ed u ca tion Code Sec tions 15278 and fol low ing, to en sure bond pro ceeds are
ex pended only on the types of school fa cil i ties pro jects listed be low. The committee
will be es tab lished within 60 days of the date when the re sults of the election ap pear
in the min utes of the School Board.
Performance Au dits. The School Board will conduct an nual, independent performance
au dits to en sure that the bond pro ceeds have been ex pended only on the school
facilities projects listed below.
Financial Audits. The School Board will con duct an nual, in de pend ent fi nan cial
au dits of the bond pro ceeds un til all of those pro ceeds have been spent for the
school facilities projects listed below.
Government Code Accountability Requirements. As re quired by Sec tion
53410 of the Gov ern ment Code, (1) the spe cific pur pose of the bonds is set forth in
this Full Text of the Mea sure, (2) the pro ceeds from the sale of the bonds will be
used only for the pur poses spec i fied in this mea sure, and not for any other pur pose,
(3) the pro ceeds of the bonds, when and if is sued, will be de pos ited into a build ing
fund to be held by the Sonoma County Trea surer, as re quired by the Cal i for nia
Ed u ca tion Code, and (4) the Su per in ten dent of the Dis trict shall cause an an nual
re port to be filed with the Board of Trust ees of the Dis trict not later than Jan u ary 1 of
each year, which re port shall con tain per ti nent in for ma tion re gard ing the amount of
funds col lected and ex pended, as well as the sta tus of the pro jects listed in this
mea sure, as re quired by Sec tions 53410 and 53411 of the Gov ern ment Code.
NO TEACHER OR ADMINISTRATOR SALARIES
Pro ceeds from the sale of bonds au tho rized by this mea sure shall be used only
for the pur poses spec i fied in Ar ti cle XIII A, Sec tion 1(b)(3), those be ing for the
con struc tion, re con struc tion, re ha bil i ta tion, or re place ment of school fa cil i ties, in -
clud ing the fur nish ing and equip ping of school fa cil i ties, and the ac qui si tion or
lease of school fa cil i ties, and not for any other pur pose, in clud ing teacher and ad -
ministrator salaries and other school operating expenses.
Sonoma County 49-510 9381
MEASURES, ANALYSES AND ARGUMENTS
(whichever is applicable to your ballot)
Arguments in support of, or in opposition to, the proposed laws are the opinions of the authors.
CONT. NEXT PAGE
FULL TEXT OF MEASURE J, CONT.
STATE MATCHING FUNDS
The fol low ing state ment is in cluded in this mea sure pur su ant to Ed u ca tion Code
Sec tion 15122.5: Ap proval of this mea sure does not guar an tee that the pro posed
pro ject or pro jects that are the sub ject of bonds un der this mea sure will be funded
be yond the lo cal rev e nues gen er ated by this mea sure. The Dis trict’s pro posal for
the pro ject or pro jects de scribed be low may as sume the re ceipt of match ing state
funds, which, if avail able, could be sub ject to ap pro pri a tion by the Leg is la ture or
ap proval of a state wide bond mea sure.
USE OF ESTIMATES AND PROJECTIONS
Any estimates or pro jec tions in the bond mea sure or bal lot ma te ri als, such as relating
to es ti mated tax rates, the du ra tion of is sued bonds and re lated tax lev ies and col -
lec tions are pro vided as in for ma tional only. Such amounts are es ti mates and are
not max i mum amounts or lim i ta tions on the terms of the bonds, the tax rate or duration
of the tax sup port ing re pay ment of is sued bonds. Such es ti mates de pend on
nu mer ous vari ables which are sub ject to vari a tion and change over the term of the
District’s over all fa cil i ties and bond fi nanc ing plan, in clud ing but not lim ited to the
amount of bonds is sued and out stand ing at any one time, the in ter est rates applicable
to is sued bonds, mar ket con di tions at the time of sale of the bonds, when bonds
ma ture, tim ing of pro ject needs and changes in as sessed val u a tions in the Dis trict.
As such, while such estimates and approximations are pro vided based on information
cur rently avail able to the Dis trict and its cur rent ex pec ta tions, such es ti mates and
ap prox i ma tions are not limitations and are not bind ing upon the Dis trict.
BOND PROJECT LIST
Scope of Pro jects. Bond pro ceeds will be ex pended on the mod ern iza tion, ren o -
vation, expansion, acquisition, construction/reconstruction, rehabilitation, and/or
re place ment of school fa cil i ties of the Monte Rio Un ion El e men tary School Dis trict,
in clud ing the fur nish ing and equip ping of such school fa cil i ties. This mea sure au tho -
rizes bond pro jects to be undertaken at all Dis trict ed u ca tional and sup port sites, in -
clud ing cur rent and fu ture sites.
School Facility Project List. The items pre sented on the fol low ing list are the
types of pro jects au tho rized to be fi nanced with voter-ap proved bond pro ceeds.
Spe cific ex am ples in cluded on this list are not in tended to limit the broad types of
projects described and au tho rized by this mea sure. The types of pro jects authorized are:
• Replace outdated heating and ventilation systems
• Re pair and/or re place leaky or ag ing roofs
• Improve energy efficiency by installing solar panels
• Repair and/or replace deteriorating and aging plumbing and sewer systems
• Modernize, renovate, construct and/or expand school facilities to meet 21st
century educational standards, including providing updated furnishings
and other equipment to facilitate a modern learning environment
• Improve student access to computers and modern technology, including
providing neces sary infrastructure, hardware, software, computers, de vices
and other mod ern in struc tional equip ment
• Make health, safety and handicapped accessibility improvements to en sure
compliance with all applicable laws and regulations
• Make Fed eral and State-man dated Amer i cans with Dis abil i ties Act (ADA)
accessibility upgrades including but not limited to ensuring site access,
parking, staff and student restrooms, relocation of existing electri cal de vices,
drink ing foun tains, play ground equipment, etc. as nec es sary to en sure
adequate accommodations are provided and all legal requirements are
met
• Upgrade/ex pand inadequate electrical systems
• Improve, rehabilitate and/or construct playgrounds and play struc tures and
other facilities for school and community use, including providing related
equipment
• Abate and re move haz ard ous ma te ri als iden ti fied prior to or dur ing con -
struc tion
• Re pair, re place and/or up grade ex te rior paved sur faces, turf, and other
grounds and out door ar eas, in clud ing to elim i nate safety haz ards and to
facilitate outdoor instruc tion
• Up grade, re pair and/or ex pand school site park ing, road ways, grounds
and other infrastructure such as utility systems, including installing exterior
light ing, re pair ing path ways, walk ways, ADA ac cess ramps, and make
landscaping improvements including irrigation
Each of the bond pro jects de scribed in this Bond Pro ject List in clude the costs of
fur nish ing and equip ping such fa cil i ties, and all costs which are in ci den tal but
directly re lated to the types of pro jects de scribed above. Ex am ples of in ci den tal
costs in clude, but are not lim ited to: costs of de sign, en gi neer ing, ar chi tect and
other professional services, facilities assess ments, inspec tions, site preparation,
utilities, landscaping, construction management and other planning and permitting,
legal, accounting and similar costs; independent annual financial and performance
audits; a cus tomary construction contingency; demolition and disposal of existing
struc tures; the costs of in terim hous ing and stor age dur ing con struc tion in clud ing
relocation and construction costs incurred relating to interim facilities; rental or con -
struc tion of stor age fa cil i ties and other space on an in terim ba sis for ma te ri als and
other equipment and furnishings displaced during construction; costs of relocating
fa cil i ties and equip ment as needed in con nec tion with the pro jects; in terim class -
rooms and facilities for students, administrators, and school functions, including
modular facilities; federal and state-mandated safety upgrades; address ing un -
foreseen conditions revealed by construction/modernization and other neces sary
im prove ments re quired to com ply with ex ist ing build ing codes; ac cess requirements
of the Amer i cans with Dis abil i ties Act; nec es sary costs in curred by the Dis trict in
call ing and con duct ing the elec tion such as County ser vices and le gal costs; bond
issuance costs; and bond project construction oversight and administration during
the du ra tion of such pro jects, in clud ing by Dis trict per son nel, as per mit ted by law.
The scope and na ture of any of the spe cific pro jects de scribed above may be altered
by the Dis trict as re quired by un fore seen con di tions that may arise dur ing the
course of de sign and con struc tion. In the event that a mod ern iza tion or ren o va tion
pro ject is more eco nom i cal for the Dis trict to be un der taken as new con struc tion,
this bond mea sure au tho rizes land ac qui si tion, re lo ca tion, ex pan sion, and
construction and/or re con struc tion, and all costs re lat ing thereto, for said rea son
or, al ter na tively, based on other con sid er ations deemed in the best in ter est of the
Dis trict by the Gov ern ing Board. In ad di tion, this mea sure au tho rizes the acquisition
of real prop erty, in clud ing nec es sary rights of ways or other real prop erty in ter ests,
re quired to ex pand Dis trict fa cil i ties, to pro vide ac cess to school or other District
facilities, or to provide additional school or related facilities. In addition, authorized
pro jects in clude re im burse ments for paid pro ject costs and pay ing and/or pre pay -
ing in terim or pre vi ously ob tained fi nanc ing for the types of pro jects in cluded on the
pro ject list, such as bond an tic i pa tion notes or lease financings re lat ing to pro jects
and/or equipment previously financed.
Ap proval of the Dis trict’s bond mea sure does not guar an tee that all of the iden ti fied
pro jects within this Bond Pro ject List will be funded be yond what can be com pleted
with lo cal funds gen er ated by the bond mea sure. The Dis trict plans to pur sue funds
from the State of Cal i for nia, if avail able, to com plete cer tain of the iden ti fied facilities
projects.
The or der in which school fa cil i ties pro jects are listed in the fore go ing Bond Pro ject
List does not sug gest an or der of pri or ity. Pro ject pri or i ties will be de ter mined by the
Governing Board. The District is unable to anticipate all unforeseen circumstances
which may pre vent some of the pro jects listed above from be ing un der taken or
completed.
Sonoma County 49-511 9381
MEASURES, ANALYSES AND ARGUMENTS
(whichever is applicable to your ballot)
Arguments in support of, or in opposition to, the proposed laws are the opinions of the authors.

  Commentary    Question    Analysis    Argument in Favor    Argument Against    Full Text    Tax Rate    Resolution    Notice  

Measure J Tax Rate Statement

TAX RATE STATEMENT — MEASURE J
An elec tion will be held in the Monte Rio Un ion El e men tary School Dis trict (the
“Dis trict”) on No vem ber 6, 2018, to au tho rize the sale of up to $3.3 mil lion in bonds
of the Dis trict to fi nance school fa cil i ties as de scribed in the mea sure. If such bonds
are au tho rized and sold, prin ci pal and in ter est on the bonds will be pay able only
from the pro ceeds of ad valorem tax lev ies made upon the tax able prop erty in the
District. The following information is provided in compliance with Sections
9400-9404 of the Elec tions Code of the State of Cal i for nia. Such in for ma tion is
based upon the best es ti mates and pro jec tions pres ently avail able from of fi cial
sources, upon ex pe ri ence within the Dis trict, and other de mon stra ble fac tors.
Based upon the fore go ing and pro jec tions of the Dis trict’s as sessed val u a tion, the
following information is provided:
1. The best es ti mate of the av er age an nual tax rate which would be re quired
to be lev ied to fund this bond is sue over the en tire du ra tion of the bond
debt ser vice, based on a pro jec tion of as sessed val u a tions avail able at
the time of fil ing of this state ment, is $0.03 per $100 of as sessed val u a tion
(or $30 per $100,000 of as sessed value). The fi nal fis cal year in which it is
an tic i pated that the tax will be col lected is 2047-48.
2. The best es ti mate of the high est tax rate which would be re quired to be
lev ied to fund this bond is sue, based on a pro jec tion of as sessed valuations
avail able at the time of fil ing of this state ment, is $0.03 per $100 of assessed
val u a tion (or $30 per $100,000 of as sessed value). It is es ti mated that
such rate would be lev ied start ing in fis cal year 2019-20 and following.
3. The best es ti mate of the to tal debt ser vice, in clud ing the prin ci pal and interest,
that would be re quired to be re paid if all the bonds are is sued and sold is
approximately $7,000,000.
Vot ers should note the es ti mated tax rate is based on the as sessed value (not market
value) of tax able prop erty on the County’s of fi cial tax rolls. In ad di tion, tax pay ers
el i gi ble for a prop erty tax ex emp tion, such as the home owner’s ex emp tion, will be
taxed at a lower ef fec tive tax rate than de scribed above. Prop erty own ers should
con sult their own prop erty tax bills and tax ad vi sors to de ter mine their prop erty’s
as sessed value and any ap pli ca ble tax ex emp tions.
The at ten tion of all vot ers is di rected to the fact that the fore go ing in for ma tion is
based upon pro jec tions and es ti mates only, which amounts are not max i mum
amounts and du ra tions and are not bind ing upon the Dis trict. The ac tual debt service,
tax rates and the years in which they will ap ply may vary from those used to pro vide
the es ti mates set forth above, due to fac tors such as vari a tions in the tim ing of bond
sales, the par amount of bonds sold and mar ket in ter est rates avail able at the time
of each sale, ac tual as sessed val u a tions over the term of the bonds, and other factors.
The date and amount of bonds sold at any given time will be de ter mined by the Dis trict
based on the need for pro ject funds and other con sid er ations. The ac tual in ter est
rates at which the bonds will be sold will de pend on con di tions in the bond mar ket at
the time of sale. Ac tual fu ture as sessed val u a tions will de pend upon the amount
and value of tax able prop erty within the Dis trict as de ter mined by the County
As ses sor in the an nual as sess ment and the equal iza tion pro cess.
Ss/ Nathan Myers
Superintendent
Monte Rio Un ion El e men tary School Dis trict

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Measure J Resolution

13

RESOLUTION NO. 15-2017-2018

RESOLUTION OF THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE
MONTE RIO UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT
ORDERING AN ELECTION TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF
SCHOOL BONDS, ESTABLISHING SPECIFICATIONS OF THE
ELECTION ORDER, AND REQUESTING CONSOLIDATION WITH
OTHER ELECTIONS OCCURRING ON NOVEMBER 6, 2018

WHEREAS, the Monte Rio Union Elementary School District (the "District") is committed to providing quality education to its students; and

WHEREAS, District facilities need repairs, upgrades, modernization and expansion in order to provide the education District students deserve in a safe and modern environment; and

WHEREAS, a local funding source is needed to enable the District to provide said facilities for its present and future students; and

WHEREAS, the Governing Board of the District (the "Board") has determined that it is necessary to address the foregoing concerns, among others, to ensure that its schools are upgraded, repaired, improved and equipped; and

WHEREAS, on November 7, 2000, the VOters of the State of California approved Proposition 39" ("Proposition 39"), which amended Articles XIIIA of the California Constitution ("Article XIIIA") to allow for the levy of ad valorem property taxes for the payment of bonded indebtedness of a school district, community college district or county office of education approved by at least 55 percent of the voters voting on such proposition; and

WHEREAS, upon the passage of Proposition 39, the Strict Accountability in Local School Construction Bonds Act of 2000, being California Education Code Section 15264 and following (the "Act"), became operative; and

WHEREAS, in order to address the facilities needs of the District as described herein, in the judgment of the Board, it is advisable to call an election pursuant to the "Act to submit to the electors of the District the question whether bonds of the District shall be issued and sold pursuant to the authority of Article XVI Section 18 of the California Constitution and Article XIIIA (together with the Act, the "Law") for the purposes authorized by the Law and as described in Appendix A hereto (the "Full Text of Bond Measure"); and

WHEREAS, under the Act, the election may be ordered at a primary or general election, a regularly scheduled local election at which all of the electors of the District are entitled to vote, or a statewide special election, upon a two-thirds vote of the Board; and

WHEREAS, the Board desires to call an election in the District pursuant to the Law on November 6, 2018, which is the date of the statewide general election, and pursuant to Education Code Section 15121 and Elections Code Section 10400 and following, to request consolidation with any and all other elections held in the District on 14 such date, and to request the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters (the "County Registrar") to perform election services for the District; and

WHEREAS, in connection with the calling of a bond election and in accordance with Education Code Section 15100 subparagraph (0), the Board has obtained reasonable and informed projections of assessed property valuations that take into consideration projections of assessed property valuations made by the County assessor, if any; and

NOW, THEREFORE, THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE MONTE RIO UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES HEREBY RESOLVE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Recitals. The foregoing recitals are true and correct.

Section 2. Call for Election. The Board hereby orders an election and submits to the electors of the District the question of whether general obligation bonds of the District shall be issued and sold in the maximum principal amount of $3.3 million for the purposes described in the ballot measure approved under Section 4 and attached hereto as Appendix A (Full Text of Bond Measure) and Appendix B (Abbreviated Text of Bond Measure), and paying all costs incident thereto. This Resolution constitutes the order of the District to call such election and shall constitute the "specifications of the election order" pursuant to Education Code Section 5322.

Section 3. Election Date. The date of the election shall be November 6, 2018, and such bond election shall be held solely within the boundaries of the District. The boundaries of the District have not changed since the District's last election.

Section 4. Purpose of Election; Ballot Measure. The purpose of the election shall be for the voters in the District to vote on a bond measure, a full copy of which is attached hereto as Appendix A and marked "Appendix A - Full Text of Bond Measure" (the "Full Text of the Measure"), containing the question of whether the District shall issue general obligation bonds for the purposes stated therein, together with the accountability requirements of Article XIIIA and the requirements of Section 15272 of the Act. The Full Text of the Measure, which commences with the heading "FULL TEXT OF BOND MEASURE" and includes all of the text thereafter on Appendix A, shall be printed in the voter information pamphlet provided to voters, with such measure designation as is assigned to the measure by the County elections official.

As required by Education Code Section 5322 and Elections Code Section 13247, the abbreviated form of the measure to appear on the ballot is attached hereto as Appendix B and is marked as "Appendix B - Abbreviated Form of Bond Measure." Appendix B presents two options, one marked "Option 1" and the other marked "Option 2." The Board hereby authorizes and directs the County Registrar to print Option 1 on the ballot label. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board directs the County Registrar to print Option 2 on the ballot label and disregard Option 1 if directed in writing by the Superintendent, in which case Option 2 shall be deemed to amend and supersede Option 1 in its entirety. The Superintendent is hereby directed to authorize the use of Option 2 if Election Code Section 13119 is not amended or suspended by legislation enacted prior to the filing deadline referenced in Section 9.

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The President of the Board and the Superintendent are hereby separately authorized and directed to make any changes to the text of the measure as presented on Appendix A and Appendix B to conform to any requirements of the Law or the County Registrar, or otherwise upon the advice of its legal counsel. The preceding sentence is intended to include revisions reflecting changes in applicable law effective after the date of adoption of this Resolution. The Superintendent is authorized and directed to deliver revisions to the appendices hereto to the County Registrar through changed pages submitted under written cover letter executed by the Superintendent, or otherwise as required by the County Registrar.

Section 5. Authority for Election. The authority for ordering the election is contained in Section 15264 et. seq. of the Education Code, Article XVI Section 18(b) of the California Constitution and paragraph (b) subsection (3) of Article XIIIA. The authority for the specification of this election order is contained in Section 5322 of the Education Code.

Section 6. Proceeds for School Facilities Projects. The Board certifies that the proceeds from the sale of the bonds will be used only for the purposes specified in Article XIII A, Section 1(b)(3) as further specified in Appendix A, and not for any other purpose, including teacher and administrator salaries and other school operating expenses. Further, as required by Article XIIIA, the Board hereby certifies that it has evaluated safety, class size and information technology needs in developing the list of school facilities projects set forth in Appendix A.

Section 7. Covenants of the Board upon Approval of the Bonds by the Electorate; Accountability Measures. As required by Article XIIIA, Section 15278 of the Act, and Government Code Section 53410, in the event 55 percent of the voters voting in the District approve of the Bonds, the Board shall:

  1. (a) conduct an annual, independent performance audit to ensure that the funds have been expended only on the projects listed in Exhibit A;
  2. (b) conduct an annual, independent financial audit of the proceeds from the sale of the Bonds until all of those proceeds have been expended for the school facilities projects listed in Exhibit A;
  3. (c). establish and appoint members to an independent citizens' oversight committee in accordance with Sections 15278, 15280, and 15282 of the Act;
  4. (d) apply the Bond proceeds only to the specific purposes stated in the ballot proposition;
  5. (e) cause the creation of accounts into which bond proceeds shall be deposited; and
  6. (f) cause the preparation of an annual report pursuant to Government Code Sections 53410 and 53411.

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Section 8. Statement Regarding State Matching Funds. The District anticipates that matching funds from the State of California, if available, may be required to complete some of the projects identified in Appendix A. In such case, as required pursuant to Education Code Section 15122.5, the following statement shall appear on the ballot: "Approval of this measure does not guarantee that the proposed project or projects that are the subject of bonds under this measure will be funded beyond the local revenues generated by this measure. The District's proposal for the project or projects described below may assume the receipt of matching state funds, which, if available, could be subject to appropriation by the Legislature or approval of a statewide bond measure." Said statement has been included in the Full Text of Measure presented in Appendix A.

Section 9. Delivery of this Resolution. The Clerk of the Board is hereby directed to send a copy of this Resolution to (1) County Registrar, and (2) the Sonoma County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors (the "Clerk of the Board") for purposes of consolidation pursuant to Elections Code Section 10403. The Resolution shall be received by the County Registrar and the Clerk of the Board no later than 88 days prior to the election date, unless otherwise permitted by law. The Resolution shall be accompanied by the signed Tax Rate Statement referenced in Section 10 below.

The County Registrar is hereby requested to print the full text of the ballot measure in the ballot materials as it appears on Appendix A hereto and to provide all required notices of the election and other notices related thereto.

Section 10. Consolidation of Election; Request to Provide Services. The County Registrar and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors are hereby requested to consolidate the election ordered hereby with any and all other elections to be held on November 6, 2018 within the District.

Pursuant to Section 5303 of the Education Code and Section 10002 of the Elections Code, the Board of Supervisors of Sonoma County is requested to permit the County Registrar to render all services specified by Section 10418 of the Elections Code relating to the election, for which services the District agrees to reimburse Sonoma County in full from District general funds upon presentation of a bill from the County, such services to include the publication of a formal Notice of School Bond Election and the mailing of the sample ballot and tax rate statement (described in Section 9401 of the Elections Code).

Section 11. Approval of Tax Rate Statement. Pursuant to Elections Code Section 9401, a tax rate statement has been prepared in the form attached hereto as Appendix C, which form of Tax Rate Statement is hereby approved for inclusion in the sample ballot. The President of the Board, the Superintendent, or any written designee of the foregoing, are hereby separately authorized and directed to execute the tax rate statement, and to file said Statement with the County Registrar, in accordance with Section 9 hereof.

Section 12. Ballot Arguments. As provided in Elections Code Section 9501, any and all members of this Board are hereby authorized to act as an author of any ballot argument prepared in connection with the election, including a rebuttal argument.

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Section 13. Maturity Limit of Bonds. The Bonds may be issued in series by the District from time to time, and each series of Bonds shall mature not more than the legal limit at the time of such issuance thereof. The Bonds shall be issued under the Act, under the provisions of Section 53506 .et seq. of the California Government Code, or under any other provision of law authorizing-the issuance of general obligation bonds by school districts.

Section 14. Estimates Included in Ballot Materials. The measure authorized by this Resolution includes information required by law to be presented to District voters regarding the expected amount of money to be raised annually to pay issued bonds, the estimated rate of the approved tax per $100 of assessed valuation, and the period through which the proposed tax will be levied and collected. Such estimates have been provided by the District in good faith based upon information currently available to the District. The approximations and estimates depend on numerous variables which are subject to variation and change over the term of the District's overall facilities and bond financing plan. As such, while such estimates and approximations have been provided in accordance with legal requirements and the District's current expectations, such estimates and approximations are not intended by the Board to be additional restrictions on the District's bond program and bond issUances, and, other than the total principal amount of bonds authorized to be issued by the bond measure, do not represent legal maximums or additional limitations on bond issuance and are not binding upon the District.

Section 15. Engagement of Professional Services. The firm of Isom Advisors A Division of Urban Futures, Inc, as financial advisor and the firm of Jones Hall, A Professional Law Corporation, as bond counsel and disclosure counsel, are hereby engaged by the District in connection with general obligation bond proceedings and issuances. The Superintendent is directed and authorized to execute agreements on file with his office and available to the Board members.

Section 16. Official Actions. The President of the Board and the Superintendent are hereby separately authorized and directed to execute and deliver to i County officials any directions, requisitions or other writings, and to make any changes to the texts of the measure as described herein and in the tax rate statement, to conform to any legal requirements or the County Registrar, in order to cause the election to be held and conducted in the District.

Section 17. Effective Date. This resolution shall take effect on and after its adoption.

* * * * * * * *

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The foregoing Resolution was adopted by the Governing Board of the Monte Rio Union Elementary School District of Sonoma County, being the Board authorized by law to make the designations therein contained by the following vote, on June 14, 2018.

Adopted by the following votes: [4 'yes' votes required for adoption]

AYES: 5

NOES: 0

ABSENT: 0

ABSTAIN: 0

By: /s/
President of the Board

Attest:

By: /s/
Secretary/Clerk of the Board

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  Commentary    Question    Analysis    Argument in Favor    Argument Against    Full Text    Tax Rate    Resolution    Notice  

Measure J Notice of Election

NOTICE OF ELECTION AND NOTICE TO SUBMIT ARGUMENTS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an election will be held in the Cloverdale Unified School District on November 6, 2018, and that the following measure(s) will be submitted to the voters:

Measure _____

To improve the quality of education; repair/replace leaky roofs; upgrade inadequate electrical systems; replace deteriorating plumbing and sewer systems; and modernize, construct classrooms, restrooms and school facilities; shall Cloverdale Unified School District issue $46,000,000 of bonds at legal rates, generating on average $2,700,000 annually as long as bonds are outstanding at a rate of approximately 6 cents per $100 assessed value, with annual audits, independent citizens' oversight, No money for salaries and all money for local schools?
_____ Bonds Yes
_____ Bonds No

NOTICE IS ALSO HEREBY GIVEN that an election will be held in the Monte Rio Union School District on November 6, 2018, and that the following measure(s) will be submitted to the voters:

Measure _____

To improve the quality of education; replace outdated heating and ventilation systems; repair or replace leaky roofs; and modernize outdated classrooms, restrooms and school facilities; shall Monte Rio Union Elementary School District issue $3,300,000 of bonds at legal rates, generating on average $234,000 annually for issued bonds through maturity from levies of approximately $0.03 per $100 assessed value, with annual audits, independent citizens' oversight committee, no money for salaries and all money for local schools?
_____ Bonds Yes
_____ Bonds No

NOTICE IS ALSO HEREBY GIVEN that an election will be held in the Oak Grove Union School District on November 6, 2018, and that the following measure(s) will be submitted to the voters:

Measure _____

To improve the quality of education; modernize and renovate classrooms, restrooms and school facilities; improve student access to computers and modern technology; and make health, safety and handicapped accessibility improvements; shall Oak Grove Union School District issue $9,500,000 of bonds at legal interest rates, raising an average $556,000 annually as long as bonds are outstanding, at a rate of 3 cents per $100 assessed value, have an independent citizens' oversight committee with no money for administrative salaries?
_____ Bonds Yes
_____ Bonds No

NOTICE IS ALSO HEREBY GIVEN that an election will be held in the Old Adobe Union School District on November 6, 2018, and that the following measure(s) will be submitted to the voters:

Measure _____

To improve the quality of education; repair and replace leaky roofs; modernize outdated classrooms, restrooms and school facilities; and improve student access to computers and modern technology; shall Old Adobe Union School District issue $38,500,000 of bonds at legal rates, generating on average $2,200,000 annually as long as bonds are outstanding at a rate of approximately 3 cents per $100 assessed value, with annual audits, independent citizen's oversight, no money for salaries and all money staying local?
_____ Bonds Yes
_____ Bonds No

NOTICE IS ALSO HEREBY GIVEN that any written arguments for or against the measure(s) to be submitted to the voters must be filed with the Office of the Registrar of Voters, 435 Fiscal Dr, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, no later than 5 p.m. on August 20, 2018. Arguments must be accompanied by a Statement of Accuracy, available from the Registrar of Voters, signed and dated by the author(s). Arguments shall not exceed 300 words.

NOTICE IS ALSO HEREBY GIVEN that if an argument in favor of and an argument against the measure(s) are submitted, copies will be mailed to the respective authors in order that they may submit a rebuttal argument. Rebuttal arguments must also be accompanied by a Statement of Accuracy, signed and dated by the author(s). The deadline for filing a rebuttal argument will be 5 p.m. on August 30, 2018. Rebuttal arguments shall not exceed 250 words.

The polls will be open on November 6, 2018, Election Day, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Dated: August 14, 2018
SEAL William F. Rousseau
Sonoma County Clerk
& Registrar of Voters

2817405 – Pub. Aug 16, 2018 1ti.

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