Dick Spotswood: What’s left unsaid is telling as Marin bond measures go to ballot
In the March 5 primary, Measure F, the citizens initiative to withdraw San Anselmo from Marin County’s current flood-control effort, was shaping up to be well-contested. That may not be true any longer.
The measure asks, “Shall an initiative measure be adopted to withdraw the Town of San Anselmo, including all parcels of land in Town, from the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Zone 9?” It requires a simple majority for passage.
To the amazement of Measure F’s proponents, no opposing argument has been filed with the Registrar of Voters. Thus, no argument against it will appear in the all-important ballot handbook sent to each voter. Given the limited effort and cost of preparing ballot handbook arguments, it appears that opposition to the Hub City departing the flood control district has evaporated. If so, passage of Measure F is assured.
The Ross Valley, including Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo and several unincorporated communities, has historically been subject to flooding. The calamitous New Year’s Eve flood of 2005 pushed local and county governments into action.
Under the leadership of the late Supervisor Hal Brown, the county representative for Ross Valley, a tax was passed to make substantial improvements to prevent future devastation and resulting decreased property values. Eighteen years have elapsed. $52 million has been spent. While some secondary improvements were implemented, the results are far from making the valley safe from flooding.
The problem wasn’t the individuals who have actively involved themselves advocating for or against components of the effort or even the public officials honchoing it.
The interminable delays were the result of a broken process.
It’s typical of the difficulty implementing any infrastructure project in 21st century America. Everyone has endless input, consultants make big bucks, and huge amounts of expensive staff time are consumed. Despite all the hearings, an up or down final decision is rarely made. Even when there’s decisiveness, the results will be tied up in court for years. The result is frustrated voters who, for the time being, may be prepared to throw in the towel.
The likely outcome is that Measure F passes with the current flood control effort winding down. The hope is that a new and improved approach then gets underway before the inevitable next flood wipes out portions of the Ross Valley.
Ross Valley School District Trustee Ryan O’Neil is a past member of the Fairfax Town Council and current candidate for District 2 supervisor. He recommends, “Next time, let’s develop a thorough and effective mitigation plan for flood control that’s approved with consensus from our community before we ask for a tax to support it.”
Also on the March primary ballot is Measure A. Voters in the Tamalpais Union High District will consider a proposal to repair and upgrade the district’s five high schools: Redwood, Archie Williams, Tamalpais, San Andreas and Tamiscal.
The ballot language’s section on funding states, if approved, Measure A authorizes $517 million in bonds at legal rates, levying $30 per $100,000 assessed value while bonds are outstanding ($36 million annually) with independent oversight, annual audits, no funds for administrators and all funds locally controlled.”
What the measure’s ballot description doesn’t state is that over the life of the bonds, district taxpayers will ultimately pay over $1 billion including interest. Measure A is the largest school bond ever submitted anywhere in Marin.
Voters deserve to know the full cost of what they are asked to approve. That basic information should have been included in the ballot description, but Tam Union trustees purposely left it out.
Columnist Dick Spotswood of Mill Valley writes on local issues Sundays and Wednesdays. Email him at spotswood@comcast.net