Send this story Print this story

Adjust text size

Community college tax squeaks by

Measure G, the $34 annual parcel tax for the San Mateo County Community College District, appears to have passed with the slimmest of margins in the June 8 elections. Uncounted ballots might still change the outcome.

With a required two-thirds (66.7 percent) voter approval, the measure received 60,113 yes votes or 67.1 percent of the total, according to the latest counts from the county elections office.

No votes were 29,493 or 32.9 percent of the total.

The measure is expected to generate about $6.5 million over four years, and will be used to help restore classes, rehire teachers, and reduce the waiting list of students, which numbers around 14,000, district officials said.

The money would help counter state cuts to the district of $20 million over the current and coming budget years, officials said.

Property owners 65 years old or older can claim an exemption to the tax.

Posted by jane, a resident of the Menlo Park: other neighborhood, on Jun 16, 2010 at 9:21 am

If they cut some of the ridiculous salaries, fired some of the dead wood and stopped wasting money, there might be enough to support the classes. Private industry has done all of the above and managed to put out product, the colleges should do the same. The Post published salaries for city, county govts. and colleges. Some of them were utterly obscene.

Posted by curious, a resident of the Menlo Park: Linfield Oaks neighborhood, on Jun 19, 2010 at 9:10 am

I'd like to see some objective comparative data for once from folks who complain about the waste of money spent on salaries and benefits for public employees. Private industry just moves offshore or closes shop when the going gets tough. Services for the public good - especially education - cannot do so.

How many of us who are able to live well in this expensive area would stand to have our earnings scrutinized as Jane would suggest. An obscene salary is receiving $70M as a severance after running a public company almost to the ground - a $100,000 per year salary is not obscene for an executive or public safety position in this area.