New tax would create a monetary double play

The move to add a second parcel tax into the mix is unprecedented in the history of the Burlingame School District, according to available records. The district has a separate construction/capital expense bond measure on the books as well.

The planned new parcel tax will be on the Nov. 5 election ballot as Measure GG. The trustees of the district approved the effort unanimously earlier in the summer. It will take an affirmative vote by at least two-thirds of the electorate to pass the measure.

Backers are hoping that the citizenry will not be turned off by the plan to more than double its total parcel tax take in a challenging environment of high consumer prices, from food and gasoline to housing and insurance.

The existing parcel levy is set at a flat rate of $256 per property, regardless of size. The owner of a one-bedroom condominium pays the same amount as the owner of a hotel or apartment complex.

The proposed new measure would attempt to rectify that imbalance by imposing a 14-cent-per-square-foot tax on all properties, with a cap of $2,500. The owner of a 1,500-square-foot home would pay $210.

The current tax, which is set to expire in 2030, produces just over $2 million. If approved by the voters, the new tax would generate an estimated $3.6 million of fresh funds and overlap with the current tax for at least four years and create a total of at least $5.6 million during that period.

Doug Brown and Jennifer Faber, who are leading the campaign to pass Measure GG, argue that Burlingame public schools and their 3,300 students are underfunded when compared to their more wealthy peers along the Peninsula.

One example: Within the same ZIP code (94010), the Hillsborough City School District spends twice as much as Burlingame on a per-student basis — $30,773 vs. $15,692 in 2022-23, according to state Department of Education data.

Hillsborough employee salaries, in particular teachers’ pay, are correspondingly higher than those in Burlingame.

“We want to keep our teachers here,” explained Faber recently. That means paying them more. Measure GG proceeds would be targeted with that aim in mind in addition to the preservation of a number of key academic programs.

The ballot language specifically forbids Measure GG money from being used to benefit administrators (However, in the end, a new tax haul could free up fungible dollars from other revenue sources for administrators’ pay and benefits hikes).

Brown claimed that maintaining good schools is an investment in the community (and property values). “Inflation has been hitting our staff hard,” he said.

It should be noted, of course, that inflation has been affecting everyone, including taxpayers in Burlingame. And there’s the rub. Is this the right time to be seeking increased tax dollars from voters, especially when a similar tax is already in place?

Brown, Faber and others believe the answer is yes. They are hoping to obtain backing for Measure GG from key politicians and other community leaders; the district’s teachers’ union, unsurprisingly, is on board.

So far, there is no listed opposition to Measure GG.

If the tax receives a thumbs-up, property owners who are senior citizens, disabled individuals or low-income folks can apply for an exemption.  

A CONFLICT OF INTEREST?: Mary Beth Thompson wants to be elected to the Sequoia Union High School District’s Board of Trustees Nov. 5. She’s the director of Summit Prep, a charter school that is officially under the umbrella of the Sequoia district. Would her presence on that governing body be a conflict of interest? It’s not entirely clear. There are conflicting opinions on the matter. But, in the end, it could become a problem if she wins election to the district seat.

Email: johnhorganmedia@gmail.com.