Parcel tax renewal placed on the ballot by West Contra Costa Unified School District board

The West Contra Costa Unified School District board voted unanimously Wednesday, July 15, to place a measure on the November ballot to renew a parcel tax.

The measure would continue the existing rate of 7.2 cents per building square foot, which applies to businesses and commercial space as well as homes. The tax was first passed by voters in 2004, then renewed in 2012 and 2016.

“We need your support now more than ever,” said Trustee Leslie Reckler.

Passage requires a two-thirds majority vote.

According to the resolution passed by the board, if the renewal does not pass, “the District may face further cuts to teachers, programs, and student services.”

At the June 24 meeting where the school board approved a budget for 2026-27, Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said the district has cut close to 10% of its workforce.

The tax brings in about $10.1 million annually.

The measure would continue the tax for nine years. Without the renewal, the tax expires at the end of the 2026-27 fiscal year.

The tax would exempt people 65 and older for a parcel they own and occupy, provided they complete an application.

It also exempts people who apply if they are: “(b) receiving Supplemental Security Income for a disability regardless of age; (c) receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, regardless of age, whose yearly income does not exceed 250 percent of the 2012 federal poverty guidelines issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.”

The district encompasses El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, and Hercules, plus various unincorporated areas including Kensington. It serves more than 24,000 students across 56 sites.

Voters in the district’s Area 4 and Area 5 will also be voting on board members on Nov. 3.

Area 5 includes El Cerrito, Kensington, and part of Richmond. That seat is currently held by Reckler, who has been on the board for six years and has announced she will not seek reelection. Caitlin Garibaldi has announced she is running for that seat.

Area 4 includes El Sobrante, parts of Richmond and San Pablo, and a sliver of Pinole. Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy has held that seat for six years and is running for reelection.

As of  July 15, Garibaldi and Gonzalez-Hoy are the only candidates who have taken out nomination papers for the WCCUSD seats on the Nov. 3 ballot.

More information about the tax measure is available in the staff report from the July 15 meeting, including results of a survey that the school district commissioned with Godbe Research.

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