SALINAS VALLEY — Voters in South Monterey County have shaped the future of both local schools and city infrastructure in the Nov. 5 Presidential General Election, with mixed results across the measures.
All school district bond measures are currently passing, set to fund essential facility upgrades and safety improvements, while two proposed tax measures in Gonzales and King City are seeing less favorable outcomes, as of Friday’s latest results.
Education bond measures pass
Each of the school bond measures on the ballot, requiring 55% approval to pass, has achieved sufficient support, enabling various districts to address critical facility needs:
- Measure E (Soledad Unified School District) is passing with 1,862 votes (61.15%) in favor, allowing for $42 million in bonds to improve ADA compliance, repair school facilities, and build a new track at Soledad High School.
- Measures H and I (South Monterey County Joint Union High School District) for King City and Greenfield high schools are also passing, each at approximately 60.6% of approval (about 3,022 “yes” votes). Measure H allocates $35 million for classroom upgrades and vocational facilities, while Measure I focuses on safety enhancements, including emergency communication and fire alarm systems.
- Measure J (Chualar Union School District), passing with 173 votes (59.04%) in support, will issue $5.6 million for essential repairs and classroom updates.
- Measures K and L (King City Union School District) are both passing with nearly 64% approval (about 1,260 “yes” votes), raising $19.8 million and $21.6 million, respectively, to fund repairs and enhance school safety and technology.
- Measure N (Mission Union Elementary School District) has achieved 71.88% approval with 69 votes to secure $1.5 million for facility repairs and safety updates.
City tax measures fall short
While education funding measures saw broad support, early results show that residents in Gonzales and King City are leaning against two local tax measures intended to support city services:
- Measure S (Gonzales) proposes a 0.5% sales tax increase, expected to raise $800,000 annually for city infrastructure, park improvements, and other services. However, it currently trails, with 729 voters (54.20%) opposing it.
- Measure T (King City) seeks a similar 0.5% sales tax hike to generate $1.2 million for public safety and city maintenance, with a 12-year expiration. Like Measure S, it faces resistance, with 747 voters (53.55%) against it.
Both measures require a simple majority — over 50% voter approval — to pass.
Monterey County Elections will release the next set of results on Wednesday.
