Pleasanton Voters Narrowly Approve Measure K

Alameda County voters approved many school bond measures that were on the ballot on Tuesday, as well as a measure that will move Hayward's municipal election, which is held in even-numbered years, from June to November.

Supporters of Hayward's Measure C, which got 61 percent approval, said in their ballot statement that holding city elections on the same day as state and federal elections will increase voter turnout and save taxpayers money by consolidating elections on one day. Supporters, which included the Service Employees International Union and City Councilman Francisco Zermeno, said increasing the number of people who participate in local elections will result in having more young and minority residents vote and said Hayward is the only city in Alameda County that holds its city election in June.

Opponents, including former Alameda County Sheriff and Hayward police Chief Charlie Plummer and former Mayor Michael Sweeney, said they didn't want to move the municipal election to November because they believe local Hayward issues and candidates get lost in what they said was "a barrage of money-fueled ads, mailers and robocalls for national and statewide races."

The opponents said, "SEIU's goal is clear: move Hayward's election to November, where their enormous financial power can overwhelm any candidate not beholden to them. They want control over our community, and control by any special interest group over Hayward is bad for Hayward."

Hayward voters, by a margin of 73 percent to 27 percent, also approved Measure D, which will extend for another 20 years a 5.5 percent local utility users tax that the city's voters approved in 2009 to prevent cuts to public services in the wake of the recession. That tax was scheduled to expire in 2019.

See Also:

• REAL-TIME RESULTS: Alameda County's 2016 Primary Races Election

In Dublin, voters approved Measure H, which will raise $283 million to construct a second high school, modernize elementary schools and add science labs at two middle schools and the existing high school. The measure, which 59.5 percent of voters approved, will raise Dublin homeowner property taxes by $60 per $100,000 of assessed value.

In Pleasanton, voters were narrowly approving Measure K, which would approve the Lund Ranch housing project in southeast part of the city and consists of 43 single-family homes, 174 acres of open space and two miles of trails. The measure, which needs a simple majority to pass, got 51 percent of the vote. But the measure was only ahead by 254 votes, or 6,852 to 6,598, so absentee ballots that were turned in at the polls and haven't yet been counted could affect the outcome.

Sign up for Pleasanton Patch news and alerts!

In Albany, voters approved Measures B and E, which will raise a combined $95 million to rebuild two elementary schools, relieve middle school crowding and add high school classrooms. No arguments against the measures were submitted. Measure B won with 68.6 percent approval and Measure E was passed by 72 percent of voters.

In Piedmont, 70.6 percent of voters gave their approval to Measure F, which will increase the city's parcel tax by 30 percent. Supporters said the tax hike is needed "to maintain Piedmont's excellent public services" and because the city needs to address long-standing deferred maintenance of its facilities and update the city's aging infrastructure. But opponents, including residents Bruce Joffe and Rick Schiller, said, "The need for such a dramatic increase has not been substantiated by the City Council nor by the budget advisory financial planning committee's report."

In Fremont, 69 percent of voters approved Measure I, which will extend and increase an existing parcel tax from $53 per year to $73. It will expire in 2025. Voters in the Livermore Unified School District, which includes a small number of voters in neighboring Contra Costa County, approved Measure J with about 66 percent voting yes. It's a $245 million bond measure to renovate aging classrooms and facilities, improve fire safety and security systems, modernize science labs and instructional technology and qualify for state matching funds. It will cost $48 per $100,000 of assessed home value and no opposing ballot statement was submitted.

By Bay City News

Photo via Shutterstock