Board backs request to county to stabilize Measure S tax rate ahead of next bond series

The Redwood City School Board on June 10 approved a resolution asking the county to establish a tax rate that would support repayment of a potential next series of Measure S bonds, a procedural step municipal advisers said would prevent a temporary drop and then spike in property tax bills.

Staff clarified the action does not itself issue bonds. Blake Bow, the district’s municipal adviser, explained that Measure S (voter authorization cited in 2022) authorized up to $298 million and that the first series of bonds had been structured to smooth the tax impact in the initial three years. With that three‑year period ending, Bow said the absence of a tax‑rate request could cause the tax rate to drop on the next roll and then rise again when a new bond series sells — a pattern that can cause taxpayer confusion and less efficient debt repayment.

Board members moved and approved the resolution requesting the county to levy the necessary tax for planning and stabilization; trustees were also presented routine companion resolutions to permit year‑end budget transfers and temporary internal interfund borrowing as standard year‑end housekeeping.

Why it matters: The step preserves predictable tax collections that support efficient bond financing and avoids short‑term volatility for taxpayers while the district plans any future bond issuance.

What’s next: If the board decides to proceed with a Series B bond sale, the district would return with details and a formal bond issuance plan; the county will act on the board’s tax‑rate request as part of the property‑tax roll process.