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April 30, 2009
By Patrick Flynn
The Financial Advisory Committee’s sixteen members filled the FUSD office’s Magnolia room to discuss a possible parcel tax for Fremont. By 6:24 p.m., the men and women finished their share of the refreshments and were ready to discuss the proposed tax.
The office of California Secretary of State Debra Bowen defines a parcel tax as a tax where “the amount owed is typically the same for each parcel, or unit, of land.”
“You can have a tax that goes towards a general fund, where the school district can spend the money on whatever it needs to,” Community At-Large representative Jack Roach said. “Or you can have a parcel tax that goes towards certain programs.”
There are those who are wary of an imposed parcel tax.
“I don’t believe in taxing people. The government always says that it’ll spend money for the children, but it never does,” Fremont resident Margaret Shaw said.
Most likely, a specific parcel tax would be intended for music and art programs, libraries, and technology for schools.
“Then again, if we pass the tax, the state of California could lower funding, figuring that we already have enough money for the schools. It would be counterproductive,” Roach said.
The Financial Advisory Committee maintains that it will not propose a tax until it gets two-thirds of citizens’ support.
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