The District has failed to offer a specific plan for how this massive $575 million bond will be used. It won’t even commit to naming the specific schools that will be rebuilt. Contrary to its assertion, the fiscal safeguards are vague and insufficient to prevent past abuses from happening again. Vote No on Measure R.

Why do we need protections? As just one example, the District mismanaged its budget and now faces a` $48 million budget crisis. Secondly, the District largely ignored recommendations made from an independent investigation more than three years ago, failing to implement any of the five most important budget recommendations. An independent third party verified that the District implemented only 33 of the 112 recommendations.

After spending $1.6 billion on the construction program, the District now says that it needs at least another $1 billion to finish.

The District wastes taxpayer money by:

(1) Overbuilding schools and exceeding construction budgets; and

(2) Failing to control spending.

If the District had managed its finances better, it would have had more than enough money to rebuild every District school.

As its top priority, the District must first solve its financial crisis.

Until the District shows that it can execute its fiduciary responsibility with taxpayer money and until it has a specific construction plan, including safeguards, Vote NO on Measure R.

Chris Kelley, Vice-Mayor, City of Hercules
Contra Costa Taxpayers Association
Denise Gianni, West County Chair
Leisa Johnson, Scientist, Richmond Resident
California Association of Bond Oversight Committees
Anton Jungherr, Co-Founder