What state imposes the highest average property tax burden on farmers and ranchers? Unfortunately, when it comes to taxes and regulations, you will usually be right guessing California every time — and this November, California voters will be asked either to double down on this state’s high-tax reputation by approving Proposition 15 or to join the Santa Barbara Farm Bureau in protecting our farms and ranches by voting no.

The measure on the Nov. 3 ballot would weaken Proposition 13, the 1978 tax-reform measure that limits property tax increases, by establishing a “split-roll” tax that would reassess commercial and industrial property, including agricultural facilities.

Maybe there’s nothing certain but death and taxes, but voters should be aware: Creating a new split-roll tax with Proposition 15 would result in the largest property tax increase in state history — and would likely mean the end for more California farms. This $11.5 billion tax increase on California businesses would come at a time when California farms, ranches and agricultural businesses could lose up to $8.6 billion this year alone due to COVID-19.

Special-interest groups and unions have been strategizing to roll back Proposition 13 property tax protections for 40 years. The last attempt came in 2015, when Gov. Jerry Brown acknowledged a split-roll property tax scheme was overly complex and stated, “I’m not supporting a split roll.”

Backers of Proposition 15 have tried to claim it exempts agriculture and may even have a few of our fellow farmers believing that. But make no mistake: Agriculture is not exempt. 

Granted, the initiative says it exempts agricultural land — but it would raise taxes on what is considered “real property,” such as improvements or fixtures. Even state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, in the initiative’s ballot summary, acknowledges that only agricultural lands would be protected from tax increases.

So, what property would be reassessed? Improvements and fixtures liable for tax increases would include barns; mature fruit and nut trees; producing vineyards; wineries; irrigation systems; and even solar panels. You could also add dairy barns, processing facilities, machinery garages, crush facilities and henhouses — all considered commercial and industrial property under the measure — to the list of property that would be reassessed.  

By the way, this isn’t just the opinion of Farm Bureau and other opponents. Backers of Proposition 15 acknowledged as much in an “Agricultural Land Fact Sheet” they distributed last February. 

Proposition 15 would severely undermine the enormous investments farms and ranches have made to add value to our commodities. In other words, the improvements farmers and ranchers have made in the last 40 years, whether for product marketability or environmental stewardship, would be exposed to a property tax hike under Proposition 15.

The worst part of any tax is the core intention to manipulate and/or control human behavior; it is this indirect cost of a tax that can ultimately be the most damaging. Proposition 15 would create a powerful incentive for local governments striving to maximize property tax revenues to rezone agricultural land to commercial and industrial property and deny variances for agricultural use of the land in that rezoned area. 

The proponents concede, “If vacant land is zoned commercial and industrial, it could be reassessed.” This would increase the already powerful incentives to remove land from agricultural use and intensify land use decisions made solely on tax revenue potential.

According to the U.S. Census of Agriculture, an average California farmer’s or rancher’s annual property tax bill totals $17,299 — the most of any state. Proposition 15 and its proposed property tax increases would not only make California agriculture less competitive — it would make our farms and ranches less viable. 

If you want to help assure a brighter future for California agriculture, join the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau and vote no on Proposition 15. Visit www.cafarmersagainstprop15.com to join the Farm Bureau coalition.

The post OP ED: Join Farm Bureau campaign to defeat Proposition 15 appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Recently, Bill Cirone, a retired Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools, penned an op-ed piece making his case for why voters should re-elect county school board incumbents. This must have been a novel exercise for him because all these incumbents have served for decades without ever having to run for office. Until this election, they had no opposition.

Mr. Cirone, who served for 34 years without ever having to face an opponent, claims his handpicked school board incumbents are the people this county needs right now because of how effective they have been. Let’s take a look at the real state of affairs in which we find ourselves today with our public schools.

The one thing we can agree on with Mr. Cirone is that when he first assumed office over 30 years ago, our public schools were first-rate. Unfortunately, he and the school board incumbents have watched our schools decline, to the point where we are now witnessing a generation of kids from this area who are graduating without any of the requisite academic or vocational skills necessary to succeed in the workplace or life. 

Now we would understand if some readers might think we are exaggerating this pitiful situation with our schools, so we are prepared to cite relevant information. In 2019, less than 30 percent of the students in the Santa Maria/Bonita school district were passing English or math. Things were not much better in the Santa Ynez Valley, as over 60 percent of students at Santa Ynez High School were performing below proficiency for math. Not to be undone by our neighboring districts, as little as 28 percent of students at Lompoc Unified met the standards for math and a paltry 44 percent for English.

How can Mr. Cirone praise county school board incumbents, when we are literally facing a K-12 meltdown that is committing a generation of kids to a life of poverty and inflicting other social problems on them, such as drug addiction?

It’s not going to be easy to turn this around, since it has developed over many years. There is absolutely no way it can be fixed when the same people who oversaw this sharp decline in our schools are now asking voters to keep them in office once again. In any other situation where performance is highly valued, these incumbents would have lost their jobs and certainly would not have the audacity to urge voters to reelect them.

Finally, since most voters do not know what the County Education Office does, we think it might be helpful to understand what this bloated behemoth has become under Mr. Cirone’s stewardship. His legacy is an agency which spends $58 million every year and employs over 500 people, many of them administrators, with a population of 175 students. This costs taxpayers $330,000 per student. Yes, they do some other things, but you would be hard-pressed to find anyone, including the teachers in our schools, who would know what they are. Mr. Cirone could have used his position as superintendent to pressure the district schools to improve their performance, but sadly he didn’t.

The voters will ultimately decide if the school board incumbents deserve another term in office, but we think voters deserve better schools than what they are now getting. The citizenry can begin the process of reclaiming their schools by voting the school board incumbents out of office. Anything less is a vote for business as usual.

We are energized, ready to serve and will bring a fresh set of eyes, ears and ideas with a focus on reversing the downward trend in reading, writing and math proficiency.  We will foster greater transparency and fiscal responsibility.  We will emphasize innovative programs that engage, inspire, and prepare our youth to develop skills that are relevant in today’s economy.

Michelle de Werd, a Los Olivos resident, is a candidate for Santa Barbara County Board of Education, District 4. Lou Segal, a Santa Barbara resident, is candidate for Santa Barbara County Board of Education, District 6. 

The post OP ED: County school board incumbents don’t deserve to be reelected appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

As the former Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools, it was one of my great honors to work with the four county school board incumbents who are seeking re-election. These individuals have been highly effective on the board because their backgrounds and expertise equipped them to make decisions and take actions with direct positive impacts on students, teachers, families, programs and school districts throughout the county.

The position is nonpartisan. Those who fill it run the gamut of political leanings. What they share is an unfailing dedication to students, and that is why I urge community members to support their re-election. 

Fred Rogers, from “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood,” once said, “We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say, ‘it’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”

When any of the four incumbents see a need, they respond. They are among my heroes.

Two of the open seats include geographic areas throughout the Santa Ynez Valley and unincorporated areas, as well as Guadalupe, Cuyama, parts of Santa Maria, and Lompoc.

Roberta (Bert) Heter, District 4, is a former teacher, who became principal of Lompoc High School, where her leadership was recognized for excellence district-wide. She was also well respected in state professional organizations, having served on local and state committees, and has received numerous state awards from the Association of California School Administrators. 

Bert is a very involved supporter and volunteer with youth sports in Lompoc and has worked tirelessly in a number of organizations and nonprofits, including the Lompoc Library board. Having served on the SB Foundation Board and the North County Women’s Fund, she has a broad understanding of North County needs. 

Bert’s quiet and modest demeanor belies her truly impressive track record of accomplishments for students, teachers and families. She is highly competent, effective professional, always putting what is best for kids first. She is respected by all who know her in the education, philanthropic, nonprofit and community arenas, which is why she has been such an effective board member.

Dr. Richard Fulton, District 3, is a radiologist and a co-founder of Pueblo Radiology. Dick served as president of the Rochester, Minnesota, school board when he was a physician at the Mayo Clinic. 

On the county school board, Dick has been a driving force in the successful endowment campaign for Computers for Families, designed to put a computer in the homes of children whose families could not afford one. This vital program is now serving families countywide, helping with remote learning during this pandemic. 

He serves on the executive committee of the County School Boards Association and is an active member on the Partners in Education Board of Directors, where he has been a leader in the highly acclaimed Internship Program. Dick approaches his role as a board member with one goal: Find the solution that best serves all students. To him, this is not a political role, but a human role. His longtime service enables him to understand the complexities in our education system, which is critical to advancing the changes needed so that all students can be served. 

In seeking re-election, Bert and Dick join fellow South County board members Dr. Peter MacDougall, who served as the highly respected president of Santa Barbara City College, and Joe Howell, an attorney and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, whose broad-based community achievements have also made him tremendously effective as a “go-to” county board member.  

Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children’s Defense Fund, said, “If we don’t stand for children, then we don’t stand for much.” Richard Fulton, Roberta Heter, Peter MacDougall and Joe Howell have always stood tall, passionately advocating and working tirelessly for children and families, undistracted by political agendas or ancillary issues. They do not consider the position a steppingstone, but rather a chance to serve, as reflected in their long and respected careers. 

Their work represents the effective, calm, nonpartisan leadership needed in these divisive times. 

Bill Cirone is the retired Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools.

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