The election integrity bandwagon has a lot of sex appeal.
However, billions of dollars in future taxes were stolen from Sonoma County taxpayers on November 8, 2022. Yes, stolen! Your registrar printed and circulated ballots that didn't conform to the law. Those ballots were blatant arguments in favor of the measures, instead of what the l…
The election integrity bandwagon has a lot of sex appeal.
However, billions of dollars in future taxes were stolen from Sonoma County taxpayers on November 8, 2022. Yes, stolen! Your registrar printed and circulated ballots that didn't conform to the law. Those ballots were blatant arguments in favor of the measures, instead of what the law requires. Those elections were paid for in full with public moneys. The local government agencies took sides (in violation of the Constitution) in those elections, on the ballot, using your own tax dollars against you.
You have a serious election integrity problem in Sonoma County. (You're not alone. So does every other California county.)
Going to a rally to hear Tina Peters or Doug Frank speak is not going to fix your election integrity problem.
If S.O.S. members can't or won't take local action, then the rally is just a feel-good event -- the feeling of doing something, then going home and feeling good about it.
In November, the Sonoma County registrar violated the California Constitution (see Mines v. Del Valle, Stanson v. Mott, Vargas v. City of Salinas) by using public moneys to print and circulate ballots for the proponents of these measures to take sides in an election through printing arguments and omitting mandatory disclosures on the ballot itself.
There is still time for a single elector in any of the these jurisdictions to file an election contest (Division 16 of the Elections Code) to overturn these unconstitutional elections.
The question for the S.O.S. members is: Do you stand for or against the principle of fair elections?
C Santa Rosa High 66.57%
Santa Rosa City Schools Middle/ High Schools Repair Measure. To upgrade Santa Rosa middle and high school classrooms, science labs, learning technology, and job training facilities; repair/ replace deteriorating portables, leaky roofs inefficient heating/ cooling/ electrical/ plumbing systems; and improve campus security, fire/ earthquake safety; shall City of Santa Rosa High School District's measure authorizing $398,000,000 in bonds at legal rates be adopted, levying 3¢/ $100 of assessed value ($20,000,000 annually) while bonds are outstanding, requiring independent oversight, annual audits, and all funds controlled locally?
D Forestville Union Elementary 66.49%
To address facilities needs at Forestville Elementary School, including repairing leaky roofs and other aging infrastructure; supporting student programs; and reducing energy costs by continuing to increase energy efficiency; shall Forestville Union School District's measure authorizing $6,500,000 in bonds at legal interest rates, levying approximately 2.0 cents per $100 and raising an estimated average $475,000 annually while bonds are outstanding, with citizens' oversight, annual audits, all funds staying local and No money for administrators' salaries, be adopted?
E Horicon Elementary 75.62%
To maintain and repair school facilities; fix roofs, restrooms, HVAC, septic/water, asphalt and other infrastructure; address energy efficiency, life-safety and ADA compliance; and relieve teacher and workforce housing shortages; shall Horicon Elementary School District's measure authorizing $10,400,000 in bonds at legal rates, levying approximately 3¢ per $100 of assessed value, raising an estimated average $745,000 annually while bonds are outstanding, with citizens' oversight, audits, no money for administrators' salaries and all funds staying local, be adopted?
F Kenwood 67.68%
To improve the quality of educational facilities; repair or replace deteriorating roofs, plumbing and sewer systems; modernize, renovate and construct classrooms, restrooms and school facilities; make health and safety improvements; and provide systems addressing power outages; shall Kenwood School District's measure to issue $17,000,000 in bonds at legal interest rates be adopted, raising approximately $995,000 annually while bonds are outstanding averaging 3¢ per $100 of assessed value, with oversight, annual audits and all funds improving local schools?
G Santa Rosa Elementary 71.43%
Santa Rosa City Schools Elementary Schools Repair Measure. To upgrade Santa Rosa elementary school classrooms, science labs, learning technology and art and music classrooms; repair/ replace deteriorating portables, leaky roofs inefficient heating/ cooling/ electrical/ plumbing systems; and improve campus security, fire and earthquake safety; shall City of Santa Rosa Elementary School District's measure authorizing $125,000,000 in bonds at legal rates be adopted, levying 3¢/ $100 of assessed value ($6,300,000 annually) while bonds are outstanding, requiring independent oversight, annual audits, and all funds controlled locally?
H City of Santa Rosa 73.08%
To renew locally controlled funding for public safety services in Santa Rosa; reduce wildfire risk; maintain rapid 9-1-1 emergency response/ early fire alerts/ evacuation planning; provide mental health counseling/ violence prevention programs for at-risk youth/ families; and prevent reductions of firefighters/ paramedics/ law enforcement officers, shall the City of Santa Rosa's measure be adopted extending the expiring public safety sales tax for twenty years, without increasing the 1/4¢ rate, raising $10,000,000 annually with annual audits/ citizen oversight?
I City of Santa Rosa 70.31%
Shall the City of Santa Rosa's measure to amend the Santa Rosa City Charter to affirm the City's recent transition from the election of Council members by city-wide vote to the election of Council members by district, be adopted?
J City of Santa Rosa 67.61%
Shall the City of Santa Rosa's measure to update and modernize the language of the Santa Rosa City Charter, including revisions to remove ambiguities, to provide additional flexibility in City operations, and to ensure gender and citizenship neutrality, be adopted?
L City of Healdsburg 75.96%
Transient Occupancy Tax Measure. Shall the City of Healdsburg adopt an ordinance amending the City's Transient Occupancy Tax to facilitate acquisition and construction of capital improvements for parks, community services facilities, and affordable housing, including payment of principal, interest, and cost of indebtedness, without altering any other mechanics or rates of the Transient Occupancy Tax?
M City of Healdsburg 72.59%
Cannabis Business Tax Measure. Shall the measure establishing a City of Healdsburg cannabis business tax at annual rates up to and not to exceed 8% of gross receipts for cannabis businesses, and estimated to generate approximately $500,000 annually in tax revenue until ended by voters, to be spent for unrestricted general revenue purposes, including police, fire and emergency services, parks, affordable housing, and street maintenance, be adopted?
N City of Sebastopol 83.41%
Without raising current tax rates, and to maintain City services including Police and Fire, 9-1-1 emergency services, park maintenance and repair, youth and senior recreation, and for unrestricted general revenue purposes, shall an ordinance be adopted to continue the existing Utility Users Tax at the current rate of 3.75%, by removing the sunset date until voters otherwise decide, providing approximately $700,000 annually that cannot be taken by the State?
O Schell-Vista Fire Protection District 74.33%
To continue providing fire and emergency services, shall Ordinance No. 2022/0802OR of the Schell Vista Fire Protection District authorizing the renewal of a special tax for an additional four (4) years, at a maximum rate of $200.00 for residential properties; $0.14 per square foot for lodging, commercial and industrial properties; and $100.00 for other parcels, raising approximately $780,000.00 annually; and continuing to increase the District's appropriations to permit spending of revenue raised by the special tax, be adopted?
The time to act is short. Individuals who had these measures on their ballot should feel free to call me.
Thank you so much for enlightening us -- you bring up some very interesting issues for us in Sonoma County. S.O.S. has a legislative and election team -- if you would like to be part and head up an effort, please let us know. We'd love to have your knowledge and passion on board to make a difference and lead a team. We have a lot of involvement from the community and could help promote your efforts. Please feel free to reach out to outreach@saveoursonoma.com.
The election integrity bandwagon has a lot of sex appeal.
However, billions of dollars in future taxes were stolen from Sonoma County taxpayers on November 8, 2022. Yes, stolen! Your registrar printed and circulated ballots that didn't conform to the law. Those ballots were blatant arguments in favor of the measures, instead of what the law requires. Those elections were paid for in full with public moneys. The local government agencies took sides (in violation of the Constitution) in those elections, on the ballot, using your own tax dollars against you.
You have a serious election integrity problem in Sonoma County. (You're not alone. So does every other California county.)
Going to a rally to hear Tina Peters or Doug Frank speak is not going to fix your election integrity problem.
If S.O.S. members can't or won't take local action, then the rally is just a feel-good event -- the feeling of doing something, then going home and feeling good about it.
In November, the Sonoma County registrar violated the California Constitution (see Mines v. Del Valle, Stanson v. Mott, Vargas v. City of Salinas) by using public moneys to print and circulate ballots for the proponents of these measures to take sides in an election through printing arguments and omitting mandatory disclosures on the ballot itself.
There is still time for a single elector in any of the these jurisdictions to file an election contest (Division 16 of the Elections Code) to overturn these unconstitutional elections.
The question for the S.O.S. members is: Do you stand for or against the principle of fair elections?
C Santa Rosa High 66.57%
Santa Rosa City Schools Middle/ High Schools Repair Measure. To upgrade Santa Rosa middle and high school classrooms, science labs, learning technology, and job training facilities; repair/ replace deteriorating portables, leaky roofs inefficient heating/ cooling/ electrical/ plumbing systems; and improve campus security, fire/ earthquake safety; shall City of Santa Rosa High School District's measure authorizing $398,000,000 in bonds at legal rates be adopted, levying 3¢/ $100 of assessed value ($20,000,000 annually) while bonds are outstanding, requiring independent oversight, annual audits, and all funds controlled locally?
D Forestville Union Elementary 66.49%
To address facilities needs at Forestville Elementary School, including repairing leaky roofs and other aging infrastructure; supporting student programs; and reducing energy costs by continuing to increase energy efficiency; shall Forestville Union School District's measure authorizing $6,500,000 in bonds at legal interest rates, levying approximately 2.0 cents per $100 and raising an estimated average $475,000 annually while bonds are outstanding, with citizens' oversight, annual audits, all funds staying local and No money for administrators' salaries, be adopted?
E Horicon Elementary 75.62%
To maintain and repair school facilities; fix roofs, restrooms, HVAC, septic/water, asphalt and other infrastructure; address energy efficiency, life-safety and ADA compliance; and relieve teacher and workforce housing shortages; shall Horicon Elementary School District's measure authorizing $10,400,000 in bonds at legal rates, levying approximately 3¢ per $100 of assessed value, raising an estimated average $745,000 annually while bonds are outstanding, with citizens' oversight, audits, no money for administrators' salaries and all funds staying local, be adopted?
F Kenwood 67.68%
To improve the quality of educational facilities; repair or replace deteriorating roofs, plumbing and sewer systems; modernize, renovate and construct classrooms, restrooms and school facilities; make health and safety improvements; and provide systems addressing power outages; shall Kenwood School District's measure to issue $17,000,000 in bonds at legal interest rates be adopted, raising approximately $995,000 annually while bonds are outstanding averaging 3¢ per $100 of assessed value, with oversight, annual audits and all funds improving local schools?
G Santa Rosa Elementary 71.43%
Santa Rosa City Schools Elementary Schools Repair Measure. To upgrade Santa Rosa elementary school classrooms, science labs, learning technology and art and music classrooms; repair/ replace deteriorating portables, leaky roofs inefficient heating/ cooling/ electrical/ plumbing systems; and improve campus security, fire and earthquake safety; shall City of Santa Rosa Elementary School District's measure authorizing $125,000,000 in bonds at legal rates be adopted, levying 3¢/ $100 of assessed value ($6,300,000 annually) while bonds are outstanding, requiring independent oversight, annual audits, and all funds controlled locally?
H City of Santa Rosa 73.08%
To renew locally controlled funding for public safety services in Santa Rosa; reduce wildfire risk; maintain rapid 9-1-1 emergency response/ early fire alerts/ evacuation planning; provide mental health counseling/ violence prevention programs for at-risk youth/ families; and prevent reductions of firefighters/ paramedics/ law enforcement officers, shall the City of Santa Rosa's measure be adopted extending the expiring public safety sales tax for twenty years, without increasing the 1/4¢ rate, raising $10,000,000 annually with annual audits/ citizen oversight?
I City of Santa Rosa 70.31%
Shall the City of Santa Rosa's measure to amend the Santa Rosa City Charter to affirm the City's recent transition from the election of Council members by city-wide vote to the election of Council members by district, be adopted?
J City of Santa Rosa 67.61%
Shall the City of Santa Rosa's measure to update and modernize the language of the Santa Rosa City Charter, including revisions to remove ambiguities, to provide additional flexibility in City operations, and to ensure gender and citizenship neutrality, be adopted?
L City of Healdsburg 75.96%
Transient Occupancy Tax Measure. Shall the City of Healdsburg adopt an ordinance amending the City's Transient Occupancy Tax to facilitate acquisition and construction of capital improvements for parks, community services facilities, and affordable housing, including payment of principal, interest, and cost of indebtedness, without altering any other mechanics or rates of the Transient Occupancy Tax?
M City of Healdsburg 72.59%
Cannabis Business Tax Measure. Shall the measure establishing a City of Healdsburg cannabis business tax at annual rates up to and not to exceed 8% of gross receipts for cannabis businesses, and estimated to generate approximately $500,000 annually in tax revenue until ended by voters, to be spent for unrestricted general revenue purposes, including police, fire and emergency services, parks, affordable housing, and street maintenance, be adopted?
N City of Sebastopol 83.41%
Without raising current tax rates, and to maintain City services including Police and Fire, 9-1-1 emergency services, park maintenance and repair, youth and senior recreation, and for unrestricted general revenue purposes, shall an ordinance be adopted to continue the existing Utility Users Tax at the current rate of 3.75%, by removing the sunset date until voters otherwise decide, providing approximately $700,000 annually that cannot be taken by the State?
O Schell-Vista Fire Protection District 74.33%
To continue providing fire and emergency services, shall Ordinance No. 2022/0802OR of the Schell Vista Fire Protection District authorizing the renewal of a special tax for an additional four (4) years, at a maximum rate of $200.00 for residential properties; $0.14 per square foot for lodging, commercial and industrial properties; and $100.00 for other parcels, raising approximately $780,000.00 annually; and continuing to increase the District's appropriations to permit spending of revenue raised by the special tax, be adopted?
The time to act is short. Individuals who had these measures on their ballot should feel free to call me.
Hi Richard,
Thank you so much for enlightening us -- you bring up some very interesting issues for us in Sonoma County. S.O.S. has a legislative and election team -- if you would like to be part and head up an effort, please let us know. We'd love to have your knowledge and passion on board to make a difference and lead a team. We have a lot of involvement from the community and could help promote your efforts. Please feel free to reach out to outreach@saveoursonoma.com.