INITIATIVE MEASURE TO BE SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO THE VOTERS The City Attorney has prepared the following ballot title and summary of the chief purposes and points of the proposed initiative measure:
Ballot Title
AN INITIATIVE ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FOR
MANHATTAN BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Summary of Proposed Measure
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District (the “School District”) receives funding from the state and federal government, and from the City of Manhattan Beach (the “City”). The School District also receives local funds approved by the voters.
The proposed measure would authorize the City to collect an annual parcel tax of $1,095.00 per parcel of taxable real property in the City beginning on July 1 after the measure becomes effective and expiring 12 years thereafter. The amount of the tax would be adjusted to account for inflation.
The measure would require the City to transfer all of the parcel tax revenue to the School District. The Initiative Ordinance provides that the School District could use the funds only for the following purposes:
- To protect quality academic, arts and education programs including, math, science, reading, writing, social studies, language, technology, engineering, music, arts and physical education; - To maintain manageable class sizes in the School District; - To invest in 21 st century technology, learning tools, instructional materials and supplies to support students, educators and families:
- To increase staffing and program funding in the School District; - To increase salaries of teachers so the School District can compete with other school districts in recruiting and retaining qualified and prepared teachers to support student achievement; - To provide additional professional development to all teachers; - To provide more competitive compensation to other School District staff; and - To provide oversight to monitor how the School District is spending the parcel tax revenue and make sure the proceeds from the parcel tax are only spent for the purposes approved by the voters.
The measure would provide an exemption for: (1) senior citizens who are 65 years of age or older before July 1 of the tax year, own an interest in the property being taxed, and use the property as a principal residence; and (2) individuals who receive Supplemental Security Income for a disability, regardless of age, or receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, regardless of age, and have an annual income not exceeding 250% of the 2012 federal poverty guidelines.
The measure would require the City to prepare an annual public report on the uses of the funds. It would also require an independent oversight committee to review expenditures to ensure that the parcel tax revenue is used only for the purposes set forth in the measure.
Pursuant to San Francisco v. All Persons Interested In The Matter Of Proposition G (Nowak), passage of this measure requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority (50% + 1) of those qualified electors voting on the matter.
Dated: February 2, 2022
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Quinn M. Barrow
City Attorney
City of Manhattan Beach