Prop. 39: No Peril to Homeowners

Opponents of Proposition 39, the statewide ballot initiative that would make it easier to pass local school construction bonds, should stop scaring homeowners. A yes vote, which we recommend, would not double property taxes or put homes in peril. Far from it. A yes vote would lower the margin required to approve a local school bond measure from two-thirds to 55% and would carry safeguards against property owners being gouged.

Runaway increases would be prohibited by legislation that will take effect if the initiative is approved. Sponsored by Assemblyman Ted Lempert (D-San Carlos) and already signed by Gov. Gray Davis, the law caps property tax increases in a single election at $25 to $60 per $100,000 of assessed property value. School districts could place a bond measure before voters only if it did not exceed the cap. If any such measure passed, the yearly property tax bill of the average California homeowner would increase no more than $100 over what it would have been without that bond. A modest increase of this sort would finance construction, expansion and repair of local schools.

Those safeguards and other accountability measures have persuaded the California Chamber of Commerce and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and other smart business leaders to back Proposition 39. Public opinion polls indicate that most Californians are willing to invest in better schools, something the state must have to retain its economic leadership. Proposition 39 clears the way for modest property tax increases, but it is not a threat to homeowners--no matter what its opponents would have us believe.

The actual issue at stake with Proposition 39 is whether the majority vote is to prevail. Under current law, one-third of voters can block local bond measures. Proposition 39 moves toward the idea that if most voters support a local bond, it ought not to be held back by a much smaller number who don’t want it. All of this should add up to a yes on Proposition 39.