At the last City Council meeting I asked the City Manager to bring back ASAP information about putting a measure on the February 5th Primary Ballot for the Charter High School. The measure would be for a General Obligation Bond that would fund the construction of a facility on the designated 4 acres of the 15-acre site next to City Hall that the City would own and lease to the Charter High School. If the City Council votes to put this on the February 5th ballot, the citizens of Foster City would decide the future of the Charter High School facility by their vote.
I do not want any misunderstanding on this. My interest is in allowing citizens to vote on whether or not they want to tax themselves to pay for the construction of a facility for the Charter High School. For this reason, I anticipate asking the City Council to put the bond measure on the ballot after receiving and evaluating the information prepared by City staff.
I am hopeful that the City Council will agree with me that this is such an important issue that it should be up to the citizens to decide. We have been told that there are a lot of Foster City residents who would like to see a high school in Foster City, even if it is only a charter high school.
There will be a lot of work for those who support and for those who oppose funding the construction of a facility for the school with new taxes. The voter pamphlet will include arguments for and arguments against the measure with rebuttal arguments for each position. The campaign will include opportunities for voters to understand the pros and cons, and to become involved and informed.
With my time on the City Council completed as of December 2007, I will continue to follow this issue closely as a concerned Foster City resident and taxpayer. After careful consideration of all the facts, I will vote for what I think is right for Foster City.
Ron Cox can be reached via e-mail rcox@fostercity.org
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