Measure A Parcel Tax (2020)

Introduction

On March 3, 2020, Alameda voters approved Measure A, a parcel tax designed to retain and attract high-quality AUSD employees. Revenue from the parcel tax will be used to bring AUSD employee salaries, which have long lagged behind those of neighboring districts in Alameda County, in line with the county average.

Rate and Structure

Under Measure A, property owners are levied .265 per building area square foot annually for seven years. The tax goes into effect on July 1, 2020 and sunsets June 30, 2027. There is an annual cap of $7999 per parcel; vacant parcels will be charged $299 annually.

Seniors and community members who receive Social Security Disability payments can apply to be exempt from the parcel tax. An oversight committee will be established in the summer of 2020.

Background Information

Full Measure A Text

Measure A Background

Over the last seven years, AUSD has been steadily increasing employee salaries, often by making budget cuts. In 2018, for instance, the Board of Education approved $3.2 million in cuts to programs for the 2018-19 school year in order to provide a 4.5% salary increase to AUSD employees. Programs reduced or eliminated that year included all-day kindergarten, English language coaches, District Office services, deferred maintenance spending, and various software licenses. (You can find more information about those budget readjustments here.)

In 2019, the Board approved another $3 million in budget cuts and adjustments to provide a 4% raise to employees.

Despite these raises, AUSD salaries remain about 11% lower than the average of districts in Alameda County. As such, many of our employees have to take on second or even third jobs to support themselves and their families. Less than half can afford to live on the Island, with many commuting from faraway communities each day. (That’s compared to nearly 80% who lived in Alameda less than 10 years ago.) And AUSD loses nearly 20% of its teachers and staff to other school districts annually, largely because our neighbors offer higher compensation and stronger benefits.

Unfortunately, a 9% salary increase cannot be made from budget cuts alone, as that would significantly and negatively impact our educational programs. Because of that, AUSD believes a parcel tax is the best way to bring employee salaries in line with the county average so as to better retain and attract high-quality employees.

As part of its negotiations process in October 2019, AUSD and the Alameda Education Association (AEA) ratified a Tentative Agreement that provides a 4% raise for 2019-20, plus an additional 1% for 2019-20 and an 8% raise beginning in 2020-21, contingent on the passage of a 7-year parcel tax. These salary increases would bring AUSD salaries in line with the county average.

At its November 12, 2019 public meeting, the Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution to put this parcel tax measure on the March 2020 ballot. On December 12, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters informed us that the name of the measure would be "Measure A."

For more information, please see this FAQ.

Measure A Annual Reports

2020 Measure A Lawsuit

In February 2017, three plaintiffs who have previously sued AUSD over its parcel taxes filed a lawsuit alleging that Measure B1 is illegal. Details about that lawsuit are included in our February 7, 2017 press release. The bench trial for this matter occurred on September 27. The judge issued a tentative ruling in AUSD's favor on October 30, 2017; the stipulated judgment was issued in the spring of 2018. You can read about that final judgment in this press release from May 4, 2018.