Fail: 16,133 / 61.53% Yes votes ...... 10,087 / 38.47% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

As required by Section 53410 of the Government Code, the following accountability measures are hereby made a part of the City's Bond Measure R (the "Measure"):
a) The specific purpose of the bonds is to build a new City library, adjoining plaza and parking for the new library and Civic Park;

b) The proceeds from the sale of the City's bonds will be used only for the purposes specified in the Measure, and not for any other purpose;

c) The proceeds of the Bonds will be deposited into a Library Construction Fund to be held by the City; and

d) The Administrative Services Director of the City shall file an annual report with the City Council of the City, commencing not later than November 1, 2006, and annually thereafter, which report shall contain pertinent information regarding the amount of funds collected and expended, as well as the status of the library project listed in the Measure.

The bonds will constitute a general obligation of the City of Walnut Creek, and a tax will be levied annually upon the taxable real property within the City sufficient to pay the interest on the bonds and such part of the principal as will fall due within the succeeding year. The bond proceeds can only be used to acquire and construct the library, plaza and parking, and to pay costs of issuing the bonds.

The maximum rate of interest to be paid on the bonds is 8%. The actual rate of interest on the bonds will be determined at the time of sale of the bonds by competitive bid. The principal is to be repaid over a period not to exceed forty years. The timing of the sale of the bonds and the amount sold will be governed by the needs of the City, bond market conditions and other relevant factors. For example, grant funds or other funding could become available for the project and be used to reduce the amount of bonds the City would need to issue to complete the project.

Additional information is provided in the accompanying Tax Rate Statement.

Thomas Haas
City Attorney

City of Walnut Creek Measure R Home Page

Yes on Measure R

No on Measure R

The limitations of the existing library are clear.

• It was built when Walnut Creek was seven times smaller.
• It ran out of space 20 years ago.
• To add a new book, librarians must remove an old one.
• Space is inadequate for computers, quiet reading and children's programs.
• The antiquated electrical system restricts computer and Internet use.

• Provide adequate space to serve our community today and tomorrow;
• Ensure full access to all;
• Meet modern seismic, safety and energy-efficiency standards;
• Enhance the City's existing partnerships with the schools by providing our students with a computer-and-homework center, tutoring services and electronic reference and research training;
• Expand space to accommodate daily reading programs for young children, more children's books and additional learning activities;
• Include a technology training center where adults and seniors can learn to use computers and the Internet.

City of Walnut Creek City Council
s/Gary S. Skrel, Mayor

s/Cindy (Stein) Gershen
Owner, Sunrise Bistro, Café & Bakery

s/Patrick H. Lickiss
Principal, Las Lomas High School

s/Barbara Yates El-Baroudi
Rossmoor resident

s/Karrie Connors
President, League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley

We agree the downtown library needs to be replaced, but the proposed replacement is too big for Civic Park, and too expensive.

• The argument in favor doesn't tell us any details about the plan or why Walnut Creek must go in debt.
• The proposed structure is almost five times the size of the old library. It includes a 42,000+ square feet building and a 310 space, 5 story parking structure.
• Traffic congestion and impact on Civic Park hasn't been determined with no environmental impact study done yet.

• This proposed bond would raise $21 million. Except for $17 million set aside by the City, the rest is supposedly coming from a State library bond that hasn't been approved yet, plus private donations.

• Similar sized library systems actually cost $4-5 million per year. If this library is built, its annual costs would require additional new taxes, serious cuts in other important City programs, or both. This is not a good plan.

s/Jim Hazard
Former Mayor, Walnut Creek
s/Richard Pratt
Governor, Golden State Club Rossmoor
s/Kathleen Lawrence
Owner, Clarissa Bridal Salon
Walnut Creek
s/JoAnn Hanna
Retired Walnut Creek Planning Commissioner
s/Bill Armstrong
Former Mayor, Walnut Creek
President Regional Arts Center Campaign

• Is five times the size of the present library because the proposal assumes everyone in Walnut Creek uses the downtown library. It ignores the Ygnacio Valley branch, and the libraries in Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, and the Rossmoor-Books-to-Go program.
• Includes a 310 space parking structure that could be as tall as five stories.
• Is too large for Civic Park. The project should be designed to fit the park, not the other way around.
• Is still in the planning stages. The public should not be asked to approve a bond measure for a project where so much is still unknown.

Please join us in voting NO on this measure so we can build a BETTER library.

Please vote NO on Measure R on November 8

s/Thomas G. Dunne
Former Walnut Creek City Manager
Walnut Creek
s/Mary L. Lucas
Former Mayor of Walnut Creek
Walnut Creek
s/Audrey M. Bramhall
Former Chair, Walnut Creek Open Space Bond Election
Walnut Creek
s/Bob Schroder
Former County Supervisor
Walnut Creek
s/Hardy Miller
Former Park, Recreation and Open Space Commissioner
Walnut Creek

Only a Yes vote will build the new downtown library we need.

The facts are undisputed.

• Walnut Creek residents use the library 40% more than the statewide average.
• Downtown library use is up 75% since 2000 - growing, not declining, with Internet use.
• Comprehensive planning began in 1998 and was updated in 2002-2004. The State Office of Library Construction rated these plans outstanding.
• Library planning did not ignore the Ygnacio Valley or neighboring libraries.

• The library will enhance Civic Park, allowing for an additional 20,000 square feet of green space.
• To be built at its current site, the library will not encroach into the park.
• The proposed parking garage is 25% smaller than the garage envisioned in the 2001 Civic Park Master Plan, approved by the Park, Recreation and Open Space Commission. Parking is only for the library, community/senior center, and park.
• There will be no commercial retail.

With Measure R, we can build our library. Join us in voting Yes on Measure R.

s/Don Blubaugh
Walnut Creek City Manager, 1988-2002
s/Richard Rainey
Contra Costa Sheriff Nov. 1979 - Dec. 1992; State Senator 1996-2000
s/Grant Mainland
Parks, Recreation and Open Space Commissioner, 1994-2000;
Rossmoor resident
s/Ron Brown
Executive Director, Save Mt. Diablo
s/Loella Haskew
CPA and Community Volunteer

Based upon the foregoing and projections of the District's assessed valuation, and assuming the entire debt service will be amortized through property taxation:

1. The best estimate of the tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund the bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the first series of bonds is 0.911 cents per 100 dollars ($9.11 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in the fiscal year 2006/07.

2. The best estimate of the tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund the bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the last series of bonds and an estimate of the year in which that rate will apply is 0.911 cents per 100 dollars ($9.11 per $100,000) of assessed valuation for the fiscal year 2006/07.

3. The best estimate of the highest tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund the bond issue and an estimate of the year in which that rate will apply is 1.018 cents per 100 dollars ($10.18 per $100,000) assessed valuation for the fiscal year 2007/08.

Attention to all voters is directed to the fact that the foregoing information is based upon projections and estimates only, which are not binding upon the City. Such projections and estimates may vary due to variations in timing of bond sales, the amount of bonds sold at each bond sale, market interest rates at the time of each bond sale and actual more assessed valuation over the term of repayment of the bonds. The actual date of the sales of said bonds and the amount sold on any given date will be governed by the needs of the City and other factors. The actual interest rates at which the bonds will be sold, which in any event will not exceed the maximum permitted by law, will depend upon the bond market at the time of each sale. Actual assessed valuation in future years will depend upon the value of property within the City as determined in the assessment and the equalization process. Hence, the actual tax rates and the years in which such rates are applicable may vary from those presently estimated above.

Carol Swindell, Administrative Service Director