I notice that the official Measure C description on the ballot refers to creation of “Community Facilities District #2.” Whats that all about?
Measure C is structured as a Mello-Roos Community Facilities District. This is unlike most previous ballot measures in Berkeley, which have been either a General Obligation bond that pays only for capital costs (like the branch libraries measure that was approved by voters in 2008) or a parcel tax that pays only for operating expenses (like the emergency services measure approved by voters in 2008). A Mello-Roos CFD, in effect, is both a General Obligation bond measure and a parcel tax, paying for both the capital expenses (rebuilding the pools) and operating expenses (keeping them open). Given the city’s outlook of worsening budget cuts in coming years, it is necessary to combine these two elements to ensure that Berkeley residents are able to enjoy the pools that they have paid to rebuild. For more information on Mello-Roos CFDs, see here. Berkeley’s Mello-Roos CFD #1 was created by Measure Q, approved by voters in the November 2000 election, and it pays for emergency services equipm
