Sign the Petition

INITIATIVE MEASURE TO BE SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO THE VOTERS

Los Osos Community Services District 

Notice of Intention to Circulate Petition 

Notice is hereby given of the intention of the persons whose names appear hereon of their intention to circulate the petition within the Los Osos Community Services District for the purpose  of qualifying for the ballot an initiative measure entitled Ordinance Imposing a Special Tax for Parks and Recreation in the Los Osos Community Services District.

Proponents:

Deborah Howe; John Lindsey; James H. Stanfill,; Annette Sheeley; Josh Michelsen; Addresses on file with County Clerk.

A statement of reasons of the proposed action as contemplated in the petition is as follows:

 Los Osos has a severe shortage of community parkland, with only one small park serving the entire town. This lack leaves children with limited safe places to play, families with few options for active recreation, and community groups struggling to find space for youth sports. The 12-acre Sunnyside School property, located beside the existing park, represents a rare opportunity to change that. Sunnyside could become Sunnyside Park, offering new fields, playgrounds, and open space for everyone in the heart of Los Osos. Its office buildings could house community services, while classrooms could be leased to generate revenue and help offset costs. Turning Sunnyside into a park and community resource would significantly boost recreational opportunities, promote health and well-being, and enhance community connections. This is an investment that serves Los Osos today and for generations to come.

Full Text of the Measure

THE VOTERS OF THE LOS OSOS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Purpose and Authority.
This ordinance is enacted pursuant to the authority of Government Code Section 61121 and Article XIIIA, Section 4 of the California Constitution, to authorize the levy of a special tax on parcels of real property within the District for the purpose of expanding, maintaining and operating local parks within the Los Osos Community Services District (“District”), including for the purchase and conversion of Sunnyside School into a park and community resource.

Section 2. Special Tax Imposed.
A special tax, at the rates and for the durations set forth in this ordinance, for the purpose of expanding, maintaining and operating local parks within the District, including for the purchase and conversion of Sunnyside School into a park and community resource is hereby imposed on all parcels of real property in the District, except as otherwise provided in this ordinance. The special tax shall be levied annually by resolution of the Board of Directors at rates specified in this ordinance.

Section 3. Tax Rate and Method of Apportionment.

The special tax shall be based on the following two components of different durations and amounts:
(a) Acquisition Costs: The maximum rate of the special tax utilized towards acquisition costs of Sunnyside School shall be $85 per parcel per year for no more than 15 years. This portion of the tax shall sunset and shall cease June 30, 2041 or at the end of the year in which the full purchase price for the property has been paid, whichever is earlier.
(b) Improvements, Operations and Maintenance Costs: The amount of $100 per parcel per year of the special tax shall be apportioned toward park improvements, operation and maintenance costs. This portion of the tax shall not sunset. The LOCSD Board of Directors may adjust the maximum rate for improvements, operations and maintenance annually, commencing July 1, 2027, limited to the average of the percentage changes, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the Los Angeles-Long-Anaheim and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward areas, as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the twelve-month period ending in April of each year. The LOCSD Board of Directors may change either of the indexes specified herein to a similar index if either changes location or geographic coverage.

Section 4. Collection.
The special tax shall be collected by the County of San Luis Obispo on behalf of the District in the same manner and at the same time as ordinary property taxes, and shall be subject to the same penalties and procedures in case of delinquency as provided for such taxes. The special tax shall constitute a lien upon the property upon which it is levied.

Section 5. Use of Proceeds.
The proceeds of the special tax shall be used only for the purposes set forth in Section 1 of this ordinance.

Section 6. Exemptions.
(a) Parcels owned by federal, state, or local government agencies shall be exempt from the special tax.
(b) The Board of Directors may, by resolution, establish additional exemptions or procedures for granting exemptions.

Section 7. Accountability Measures.
The Board of Directors shall cause an annual report to be prepared and presented publicly, stating the amount of funds collected and expended and the status of any project required or authorized to be funded by the tax. Each annual report shall be a public record.

Section 8. Severability.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance.

Section 9. Effective Date.
This ordinance shall take effect 10 days following the certification of the election result in which it is approved by the requisite number of voters voting on the measure at an election called for that purpose. It is the intent of the proponents and voters that this ordinance is a citizen initiative and may be approved by a majority vote of the voters.

Passed and approved at an election held June 2, 2026

Signed:

President, Los Osos CSD Board of Directors