From school boards to bonds, Valley votes

Wednesday, Nov. 05, 2008

A sagging economy may have doomed a sales-tax increase to expand library services in Fresno County, but a bond measure to build new schools in Central Unified succeeded by a healthy margin Tuesday night.

Voters around the central San Joaquin Valley made decisions on those and other races, such as choosing city council members and school trustees.

All results are unofficial. In Fresno County, for example, officials have thousands of absentee votes that must be counted.

Fresno County library bond

Library supporters couldn't manage the two-thirds majority needed to pass an increased sales tax to improve services at 32 libraries and build 16 new branches.

With all precincts reporting, Measure L was falling short with 62.4% of the vote. The measure gained ground throughout the night but never hit the required two-thirds margin.

"At least it's trending in the right direction," Deborah Ikeda, campaign chairwoman, said just before all precincts were counted. "It's just that two-thirds is tough."

Measure L would have increased the library sales tax from an eighth of a cent to a quarter-cent for 16 years, starting in 2009.

The measure would have replaced Measure B, the current eighth-of-a-cent sales tax that voters renewed in 2004. The existing tax expires in 2013.

Supporters said the tax measure would allow the library system to build branches in communities that don't have one.

Measure L also would replace or expand some of the run-down branches currently housed in rented storefronts.

Critics, however, said the faltering economy made this a bad time to ask residents to pay more taxes.

Central Unified bond

Supporters were winning after a failed attempt earlier this year to pass a $152 million bond measure to pay for new schools in the 14,100-student district.

Measure B, which needs 55% to pass, was leading with 63% of the vote, according to election returns counting all precincts.

"This was a real good night for Central and for the Central kids," Superintendent Marilou Ryder said.

She said the bond measure passed this time because the district was more aggressive in educating the Central community about what the last bond accomplished and how much a new bond was needed.

The bond measure would generate $152 million and cost property owners in the district a maximum of $60 per $100,000 of assessed value a year. A similar measure failed in June by just 16 votes.

Advocates of the bond said the fast-growing district needs money to help build several schools and make improvements on existing campuses. Officials expect another 4,000 students by 2013.

But the campaign faced organized opposition in both elections this year.

Critics called the measure too expensive in tight economic times and described it as unfair to farmers who own large swaths of land in the 88-square-mile district.

A map breaking down the vote in Central Unified showed far more support in urban areas.

Central Unified, which ranges from the San Joaquin River to as far south as American Avenue and as far west as Sycamore Avenue, is a mix of urban and rural areas generally west of Highway 99.

Central Unified school board

One incumbent was winning and another was on his way to losing.

Terry Cox, a project manager for the city of Fresno's Redevelopment Agency, was winning among a field of four for the Area 6 seat.

In second place was teacher Bradley Black, followed by merchandise buyer April Henry and promoter Oscar L. Robinson. Cox appeared to be winning her third term.