San Rafael, CA – With less than a month left until the November 3 General Election, the Marin County Board of Supervisors took stances on six statewide ballot propositions by adopting resolutions during its October 6 meeting.
Staff from the County Administrator’s Office made recommendations based on prior Board policy and consultation with the Board’s Legislative Subcommittee of Supervisors Judy Arnold and Kate Sears.
The Board concurred with staff recommendations supporting five of the statewide propositions:
- Proposition 15, a proposal to tax commercial/industrial property, greater than $3 million in value, based on fair market value. The increased revenue would help fund public schools, community colleges, and local government services more equitably than continuing to rely on residential/agricultural properties alone.
- Proposition 16, a proposal to allow diversity as a factor in public employment, education and contracting decisions, effectively reversing 1996’s Proposition 209 – which banned Affirmative action in state hiring, contracting, and education.
- Proposition 17, a proposal to restore the right to vote after completion of a prison term. Allowing people to become civically engaged in their communities after they are released makes them much more likely to never be arrested again.
- Proposition 18, a proposal to permit 17-year-olds to vote in primary and special elections if they will turn 18 by the next General Election.
- Proposition 25, a referendum on a 2018 law that replaced money bail with a system based on public safety and flight risk, not money or race, to determine who must stay in jail while awaiting trial.
The Board concurred with a staff recommendation to oppose one other:
- Proposition 20, a proposal to restrict parole for certain nonviolent offenses and authorizing felony sentences for certain current misdemeanors - reversing forward momentum toward smarter, restorative justice approaches that increase public safety and reduce costs.
The Board followed staff recommendations and took no position on Propositions 14, 19, 21, 22, 23, and 24. Learn more about all the propositions on the California Secretary of State’s website.