Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for Oct. 26, 2024

Vote yes on Measure B for TUHSD campuses

As an elected trustee for the Tamalpais Union High School District, I’m proud of the education we provide our students. It’s perplexing to me that opponents of the Measure B bond proposal on the Nov. 5 ballot say we should be spending more on students, while also saying we haven’t spent enough to maintain our facilities. In California, there is one pot of money for schools. Rightly, districts prioritize teaching and student programming with that money.

Our district, like most across the state, spends approximately 85% of our budget on salaries and benefits for teachers and staff — the people who provide our students with great educations. That leaves just 15% for maintenance, utilities, books, insurance, supplies and other needs. The district does a very good job with facility maintenance and is a great fiscal steward of taxpayer dollars, as evidenced by our triple-A bond rating.

There simply isn’t money in the regular budget for significant facilities upgrades and repairs, which is why it’s typical for districts to ask voters for infrastructure support every couple of decades. The district last passed a bond in 2006. Now, nearly two decades later, our needs are significant. Not only do we have wear from approximately 5,000 students coming through our aging schools, but we also have new state requirements that we must comply with in addition to typically expected repairs, upgrades and replacements.

Measure B focuses only on our most critical, time-sensitive needs. The tax rate is approximately half of the typical school bond rate, at $18 per $100,000 of assessed value.

We listened to our community’s concerns after the close defeat in the March election and I hope that you will support our schools by voting yes on Measure B.

— Emily Uhlhorn, Mill Valley

Brian Colbert best for District 2 supervisor seat

I’m a student at Archie Williams High School. I’m excited to be a first-time voter this November because I’m optimistic about the future. Nationally, we are gearing up for a historic election. Locally, we have the opportunity to make a difference with a leader like Brian Colbert, who is running for the District 2 seat on the Marin County Board of Supervisors.

Colbert’s leadership, especially on issues like housing and climate action, shows that he truly listens to the community and is dedicated to making Marin a better place for everyone. He’s not just talking about change — he’s making it happen. Leaders like Colbert give me hope that my generation will inherit a better future.

— Calvin Gundee, San Anselmo

McPhail Sridharan best for District 2 supervisor

As a longtime Marin County resident and nonprofit executive leader, I believe Heather McPhail Sridharan is the ideal candidate on the November ballot for the District 2 seat on the Marin County Board of Supervisors.

Her deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the Latino community is rooted in years of advocating for equitable access to education, housing and resources. She recognizes that complex issues like housing require comprehensive solutions, not narrow ones.

By focusing on production, preservation and protection, McPhail Sridharan aims to unite all groups toward a common goal: keeping essential workers housed and producing the housing needed to meet our economic, climate and equity goals in the county.

I am confident that she will thoughtfully collaborate with all communities in Marin, especially historically underserved ones, to ensure that every voice is heard and at the table when important decisions are made.

McPhail Sridharan has a proven track record of working with the Latino community in Marin. She served on the Kentfield School District’s English Language Acquisition Committee for nine years, advocating for the needs and rights of English learners and their families. As a school board member, she consistently prioritized closing the opportunity gap among students.

With this in mind, I urge you to vote for Heather McPhail Sridharan as our next county supervisor in District 2.

— Omar Carrera, Corte Madera

James Andrews best for Corte Madera council

We are writing to share our support of James Andrews in the race for a seat on the Corte Madera Town Council in the November election. He served as a council member before, including a stint as mayor, during some of the most challenging times in town history.

He was instrumental in establishing pension-liability reform, the refinancing of Park Madera, the introduction of the sales tax to provide for general revenue and the funding of numerous needed infrastructure projects (including the rebuild of Town Hall and park bathrooms) and ongoing large capital projects related to flooding and sea level rise; street and sidewalk repair; and fire prevention, as well as vegetation mitigation. Andrews worked with town staff to establish and maintain solid reserves that allowed officials to maintain fiscal stability during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown when other towns faltered and were forced to reduce services.

Andrews, a 35-year resident, knows Corte Madera’s financial history. He is able to step in and provide needed guidance as officials tackle the next generation of challenges. He has more than 30 years of progressive responsibility in investment analysis and financial management. He earned a coveted Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University in finance and accounting and a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University in economics and history.

Professionally, Andrews is a chief financial officer of a registered investment adviser with long-term success in developing forecasts, accounting plans for budgets in excess of $5 billion.

Vote for Jim Andrews. He can hit the ground running when the town needs it most.

— Marla Orth and Peter Orth, Corte Madera

‘Election Integrity’ lawsuit should be dismissed now

Lawsuits like the one recently filed against Marin County Registrar of Voters Lynda Roberts and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber (“Marin ‘election integrity’ group sues registrar of voters,” Oct. 13) are being filed all over the United States by groups like the Marin Election Integrity Committee. Most of these filings get dismissed without the amount of fanfare that they get when they are originally filed.

The people that run the Marin Elections Department are following the rules passed by the state Legislature. They are carrying out the election laws set in place by our elected officials. They don’t make the rules, they follow them.

Roberts and her staff work hard. They are very busy, especially during a presidential election year. Barraging them with vigilante lawsuits that undermine their attention to the democratic voting process is more than a nuisance.

I think that reading the Marin Election Integrity Committee website and then digging further by checking out all of the information housed at the secretary of state’s website will lead readers to the same conclusion as me.

As a member of the media, I have interviewed Roberts many times and interacted with her staff. I consider myself a pretty good judge of character. I feel fortunate as a resident of Marin County that we have people like Roberts and her team working on behalf of fair and democratic elections.

— Amanda Eichstaedt, Olema

‘Election Integrity’ group deserves our support

I am so proud of the Marin Election Integrity Committee’s suit against mail-in ballots. We can’t put our elections in the hands of the U.S. Postal Service. I consider it bankrupt, slow, corrupt, noncompetitive, rundown and unreliable.

In my experience, Francis Drouillard, who is quoted in the recent article in the IJ, is correct in his belief that ballots are still mailed to non-Marin voters. My daughter, who hasn’t lived here for more than 10 years, received one every year since mail-in started until this year. To depend on mail being “undeliverable” before adjusting the rolls is unreliable.

Voting in person with identification verification is the only way to ensure our vote.

— Tim Peterson, San Anselmo