On the November 5 ballot

09 October 2002 | A number of statewide and local propositions, measures, and contests on the Nov. 5 ballot are of particular interest to the campus community. They include these:

State of California
Proposition 46, the Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2002. A $2.1-billion bond measure to support a variety of housing programs — $15 million of which is earmarked for low-income student housing. This is the first time a statewide housing bond has explicitly included money for student housing; Berkeley students played a key role in making that happen.

Proposition 47, the Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2002. A $13.05-billion bond for the construction and renovation of public education facilities (K-12 plus UC, the California State University, and California Community Colleges). If approved by California voters, it would provide the Berkeley campus with more than $20 million to strengthen and repair buildings vulnerable to serious damage from a major earthquake. For information, see www.berkeley.edu/news/ bond.

Proposition 52, Election Day Voter Registration. If approved, would allow legally eligible Californians to register to vote on election day. It also increases criminal penalties for voter and voter-registration fraud.

City of Berkeley
Measure M. This measure would authorize a supplemental 0.5-percent tax on certain real-property transactions — to fund safe and affordable housing for people living or working in Berkeley. According to the city attorney, the additional transfer tax would cost $500 for every $100,000 in the sale price of a property. Owner-occupied single-family homes that sell for no more than $350,000 (or no more than 105 percent of their previous sales price) would be exempt from this special tax.

Measure P. Known as the Berkeley Height Initiative, Measure P would amend the city zoning ordinance to reduce permissible building heights in downtown Berkeley and along major streets such as San Pablo, Telegraph, University, and Shattuck Avenues. According to the city attorney’s analysis, it is likely to make mixed-used developments (those with housing units above ground-floor retail space) less feasible. “Most new rental housing development in Berkeley,” it notes, “has been part of such mixed-used projects.” Proponents claim that the purpose of the ordinance is to codify the height maximums now only vaguely described in the ordinance, to prevent the addition of extra floors based on subjective criteria.

Mayor. Candidates Tom Bates and John Boushell are challenging Mayor Shirley Dean.

City Council. UC Berkeley sophomore Micki Weinberg is challenging incumbent Kriss Worthington in District 7, a largely student district. Zoning commissioner Andy Katz, a Berkeley graduate student, is running in District 8, whose boundaries include fraternity row and several campus residence halls. His opponents are Carlos Estrada, Anne Wagley, and Gordon Wozniak.