Palo Alto Unified School District parcel tax, Measure A (May 2010)

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A Palo Alto Unified School parcel tax proposal, Measure A ballot question was on the May 4, 2010 ballot for voters in the Palo Alto Unified School District in Santa Clara County, where it was approved.^[1]^[2]

Voters were asked to replace the current $493/year parcel tax and increase it by $96 a year, so that the parcel tax bill each year will be $589. Palo Alto's parcel tax at its current level funds around 6% of the school district's annual operating budget with the roughly $9.4 million it brings in.^[1] The district's current parcel tax is set to expire in 2011.^[3] The new $589/year parcel tax will be in effect for six years.^[4] It is expected that the tax will generate $11.2 million a year for the district.^[5]

Tracy Stevens, Anna Thayer and Al Yuen ran the campaign to get the parcel tax approved.^[6]^[1] Charles Heath of TBWB Strategies, a campaign consulting firm, said that Measure A's approval percentage of 79.43% was the highest ever for a parcel tax in Palo Alto.^[7]

Palo Alto voters approved a $378 million bond measure on June 3, 2008.

The election was conducted on a mail-in ballot basis.^[8] The cost of administering the mail-in election was estimated at $9.00/voter.^[9]

A two-thirds (66.67%) vote was required for approval.

Election results

Measure A
Result	Votes	Percentage
a Yes	16,342	79.43%
No	4,231	20.57%

These final, certified, election results are from the Santa Clara County elections office.

Text of measure

The question on the ballot:

Measure A: "To preserve excellence in core academic programs, including reading, writing, math, and science; reduce the impact of deep budget cuts with stable locally-controlled funding; minimize teacher layoffs and class size increases; continue teacher professional development; and help protect critical high school electives, including arts and music, shall Palo Alto Unified School District renew its expiring parcel tax for six years, increase the rate by $96, with an exemption for seniors, annual two percent escalation adjustments, and independent oversight?"^[10]