The Sunnyvale Sun

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Results of vote are a mixed bag for planners

De Anza wins; working poor, public transportation and libraries lose

By JASON GOLDMAN-HALL

Different parts of Sunnyvale were watching election night results carefully to see the outcome of several county and local measures. The defeat of two could have significant financial impact on the city and county.

Measure C did pass, and now the Foothill-De Anza Community College District can issue almost $5 million in bonds to pay for facility repairs, upgrades and expansion. The money will also enable the district to improve access for people with disabilities.

State Proposition 81, the California Reading and Literacy Improvement and Public Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act of 2006, lost by a margin of 6 percent; close to 3 million votes were cast in total, according to smartvoter.org statistics.

Sunnyvale Library Director Deborah Barrow said the bond could have helped the city's "Library of the Future" planning project. On April 25, the Sunnyvale City Council approved the plan, which seeks to find out whether the current building--almost four decades old--is enough to meet the city's library needs, or if a renovated or new facility is needed.

"We are disappointed that Proposition 81 failed. It would have been a great opportunity to obtain state funding to renovate Sunnyvale's library facilities," Barrow said.

But, fortunately for Sunnyvale, the project is not dead. Barrow said the library has an idea what the community wants. It must now work with the city to find out how it can be done.

But the other electoral lose--the county's Measure A--could have more drastic effects on Santa Clara County.

Of the slightly more than 200,000 people who voted in the county, 57 percent of them voted against Measure A. The measure would have raised the county's sales tax a half-cent to raise money that would theoretically have gone to health programs and transportation improvements.

Stephanie Schaaf, public education and advocacy coordinator for EHC Lifebuilders, said Measure A funds would have gone far in helping the county shore up budget deficits in key areas.

"Measure A didn't mean extra funds; it would have taken us almost halfway to restoring services to 1990 levels."

The estimated $150 million to $180 million in annual revenue would have taken care of more than half of the annual $275 million budget deficit in the county.

"It means one more round of painful cuts," Schaaf said. "It means a couple fewer nurses, a couple more sheriff's deputies off the streets."

Schaaf said county services and nonprofits, such as her own EHC Lifebuilders or Sunnyvale Community Services, lose when funding dries up because they rely on grants and local funds to operate.

Former Sunnyvale Mayor Dean Chu said effect on transportation in Sunnyvale could be less severe than the health impact because the Valley Transit Authority would not need the extra funding for Sunnyvale projects until the end of the decade, when construction would start.

"The VTA has a couple of years to find out where to get that money," Chu said.

Eventually, if planning and funding come through, Sunnyvale could have a Bus Rapid Transit line running from the Moffett Park business area down Mathilda Avenue, past Fremont High School, ending at Cupertino's De Anza College.