See Also: Index of all Measures

Dated: December 14, 2006

s/PATRICK K. FAULKNER County Counsel

The District has had an annual Parcel Tax since 1989 to supplement the state's inadequate funding. The Parcel Tax currently provides approximately 10% of the District's annual budget and represents a critical funding component for maintaining excellence in the school. District voters have generously supported the school and renewed the Parcel Tax each time it has expired. To continue the current programs, it is critical that the Parcel Tax be renewed. The Parcel Tax levies a flat tax (currently $608.72) on each parcel in the District. The tax increases by 3% each year. Property owners age 65 and over can ask to be exempted from the tax.

Measure A will renew the existing tax with:

• No increase in the amount of the tax outside of the annual 3% increase for inflation
• No increase in the annual 3% inflator
• No change in the length of the term of the tax
• No change in the exemption for senior citizens

• Small class sizes
• Library, including a librarian to enhance research skills
• Fine Arts
• Spanish
• Science and technology
• Learning Lab for students with special needs

PLEASE VOTE YES ON MEASURE A!

s/BRUCE W. HART
Former Mayor, Town of Ross

s/NANCYWAYNE HOLTER
Former President, Ross School Board of Trustees

s/M. DAVID MINNICK
Former President, Ross School Foundation

s/CARLA SMALL
Co-Chair, Parcel Tax Campaign, 1999

s/JULIE MCMILLAN
President, Ross School Board of Trustees

(No arguments against Measure A were submitted)

WHEREAS, for many years the State Legislature has provided inadequate funding for educational programs at the Ross School District ("District"); and

WHEREAS, the District has engaged in various efforts to generate funds for its educational programs, including lobbying the State Legislature, local fund-raising efforts and cost-cutting measures; and

WHEREAS, Section 4 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution and Government Code Section 50075 et. seq., 53720 et. seq., and 50079 authorizes a school district, following notice and public hearing, to levy a special tax for specified purposes upon approval of two-thirds of the electorate voting on the measure ("Parcel Tax"); and

WHEREAS, for the past 18 years, starting in 1989 (through June 1994), in 1994 (through June 1999), and in 1999 (through June 2007), the District has received Parcel Tax revenue to generate funds for the District's educational programs; and

WHEREAS, the existing Parcel Tax currently provides approximately 10% of the District's annual revenue and allows it to maintain small class sizes and offer a variety of programs; and

WHEREAS, this Board believes that it is necessary to continue the Parcel Tax to provide educational opportunities for the District's students;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that:

1. The Board hereby proposes to call an election on March 6, 2007 for a Parcel Tax for the specific purposes enumerated in Section 2 of this resolution.
2. At said election the following measure shall be submitted to the voters of this District:

   "Measure A" (Special Parcel Tax for Ross School District) "To maintain small class size, science, technology, library, fine arts, Spanish, learning lab and other programs, shall the Ross School District extend its previously approved parcel tax for a period of eight (8) years at the rate of $626.98 in the first year, and at such rate plus an annual 3% cost-of-living adjustment for each year thereafter, beginning July 1, 2007, with exemptions available for property owners age 65 or older?"

   This Parcel Tax shall be at the rate of $626.98 per year with a 3% cost-of-living to be applied annually per assessor's parcel for a period of eight (8) years (through June 30, 2015). An exemption from the assessment will be made available to each individual in the District who will reach age 65 prior to September 1 of the assessment year, who owns a beneficial interest in the parcel, who uses that parcel as his or her principal place of residence, and who applies to the District on or before September 1, 2007 or September 1 of any succeeding assessment year. Any one application from a qualified applicant will provide an exemption for the parcel for the remaining term of the assessment so long as such applicant continues to use the parcel as his or her principal residence.
3. On July 1, 2007, and thereafter, the Parcel Tax shall be collected and administered by the Marin County Tax Collector at the same time as and along with the general ad valorem property taxes collected by said tax collector.
4. If any section, sub-section, phrase or clause of this resolution is for any reason held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of this resolution. This Board declares that it would have adopted this resolution and each section, sub-section, phrase or clause thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, sub-sections, phrases or clauses be declared invalid.
5. This measure shall be submitted to the voters of the Ross School District at the general election to be held March 6, 2007, and shall take effect immediately upon its confirmation by two-thirds (2/3rds) of the votes.
6. The text of the measure as displayed on each individual ballot shall be abbreviated and shall read as follows:

   ROSS SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL PARCEL TAX FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS MEASURE A
   To maintain small class size, science, technology, library, fine arts, Spanish, learning lab and other programs, shall the Ross School District extend its previously approved parcel tax for a period of eight (8) years at the rate of $626.98 in the first year, and at such rate plus an annual 3% cost-of-living adjustment for each year thereafter, beginning July 1, 2007, with exemptions available for property owners age 65 or older?
   YES NO

7. This Board requests that the District election be consolidated with any and all elections to be held on the same date as specified above.
8. The Marin County Superintendent of Schools is hereby requested to call a special election of the said Parcel Tax to be held on March 6, 2007. The County Clerk is hereby requested and authorized to: 1) set forth on all sample ballots relating to said election to be mailed to the qualified electors of the Ross School District said measure; and 2) to provide absentee voter ballots of this Parcel Tax election to qualified electors of the Ross School District.
9. The District's governing board clerk is hereby authorized and directed to certify the adoption of this Resolution and to transmit a certified copy to the Marin County Superintendent of Schools and to file a certified copy with the Marin County Clerk.

Regularly passed and adopted by the Board of Education of the Ross School District, Marin County, State of California, this 8th day of November, 2006, by the following Board Members: Dan Bernhard, Scott Chronert, Ken Fineman, Julie McMillan, Elizabeth Robbins, and adopted on roll by the following vote:

AYES: 4
NOES: 0
ABSTAIN: 0
ABSENT: 1
ATTEST:

WHEREUPON, the President declared the foregoing resolution duly adopted and SO ORDERED

s/ELIZABETH ROBBINS, President
Governing Board of Ross School District

s/JULIE McMILLAN, Clerk
Governing Board of Ross School District

s/TAMMY MURPHY, Superintendent
Ross School District

DATE: 11-9-06
APPROVED AS TO FORM: DATE: 11-9-06

I, TAMMY MURPHY, Secretary to the Board of Trustees, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of a resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees of the ROSS SCHOOL DISTRICT at their meeting of November 8, 2006, which resolution is on file in the office of said Board.

s/TAMMY MURPHY, Superintendent
Ross School District

Dated: 11-9-06