Features

Voters Weigh-in on Oakland And County Measures

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday November 06, 2008 - 09:59:00 AM

Local voters picked and chose between non-Berkeley measures on Tuesday’s ballot, holding on to their money with one hand, giving out money with the other, and redistributing the money in one city budget with whatever appendage was available. 

 

Oakland School Measure N 

In Oakland’s Measure N, a large majority of voters supported the proposal by Oakland Unified School District’s state-selected administrator parcel tax, but not enough to pass the two-thirds threshold. The controversial measure lost even though it gained more votes, 61.46 percent (66,828) to 38.54 percent (41,903). 

Measure N would have set aside funds to retain qualified teachers in the district as well as funnel a smaller amount to city charter schools, but had the opposition of the powerful Oakland Educational Association teachers union and a majority of the district’s school board members, splitting state and local district leaders in a district that is run jointly by the state and locals.  

 

Oakland City Measure NN 

Another two-thirds majority measure, NN won the majority 54.95 percent, but not by enough to pass. 

NN was a parcel tax put on the ballot by Ron Dellums to increase the number of Oakland police above the currently authorized 803. Dellums, in fact, had supported the measure only to hold off a proposed citizen-sponsored measure that would have called for more police without a dedicated funding source. The measure ran into a decidedly mixed opposition coalition, including some who want more emphasis on violence-prevention programs and less on increased police, some who feel Oakland’s fiscal house needs some reordering before it takes on new money, and some who hoped to put a defeat on Mayor Dellums to weaken his possible re-election bid two years from now. 

 

Oakland City Measure OO 

Oakland voters approved a measure to set aside more money in the city budget dedicated to youth and youth programs, with 52.99 percent. The measure won over the opposition of several city leaders, including Mayor Ron Dellums and City Council Finance Committee Chair Jean Quan, who said that they supported youth funding, but felt the measure would reduce the city budget in other needed areas.  

 

AC Transit Measure VV 

AC Transit easily beat the two-thirds threshold, with 71.87 percent in support, on a measure to add $48 per year in parcel taxes to Alameda and Contra Costa County property owners. Officials suspended proposals for a fare hike after putting VV on the ballot, but cautioned before the election that rising health benefit and gasoline costs could cause them to put the fare hike back on the table sometime next year.  

 

East Bay Regional Park Measure WW 

The Park District also beat the two-thirds spread, winning 71.70 percent, on a bond measure for general park restoration, open space purchases, and other purposes.