School District to Again Seek Voter Approval for Levy

Claremont school officials will try again to get voter approval of an assessment to pay for upkeep of school recreation facilities despite property owners’ rejection of a similar measure in a mail-in election two months ago.

The board of the Claremont Unified School District this week began laying the groundwork to hold a second mail-in election with results to be counted Dec. 1. The board has hired Shilts Consultants, an engineering firm, to prepare a new report on need for the Recreation Assessment District.

The first mail-in election was held in the wake of Proposition 218, an initiative passed by voters statewide in November that requires property owners or the local electorate approve assessments by two-thirds majority. The recreation assessment was set four years ago when only the school board vote was required to approve it.

Asked whether they wish to continue the assessment, 52.2% of property owners opposed the assessment. The assessment faced strong opposition from the Claremont Assn. for Better Government.