Measure M Wins Overwhelming OK, Foster Re-Elected

In the school bond election …

Measure M won overwhelming passage  … with a 70 percent yes vote.

The Malibu special district school bond … needed 55 percent passage.

It’s a 195 million Dollar bond issue that will add three cents per 100 dollars assessed value the houses in Malibu.

The proceeds will be used for phase 2 of the Malibu high school reconstruction project.

Also to build in classrooms at Point Dume Elementary School … where the students from Juan Cabrillo are being relocated into portables this summer.

It needed 55 percent yes to pass.
Yes 69.95% 3,667
No 30.05% 1,575.

The bond issue can be viewed as a plebiscite on a future divorce of the Santa Monica Malibu school District … giving Malibu an independent school District.

If the county approves the divorce … Malibu voters will be asked to support continuation of the current Santa Monica parcel tax.

Not increase … extend.

Unless the parcel tax is extended … the Malibu school district won’t fly.

As for the school board election …

The only Malibu representative on the Santa Monica-dominated school board retained his seat.

All four incumbents who sought reelection this year won … including Craig Foster.

It’s important to remember that Malibu has only one seventh of the voting population of Santa Monica.

The four winners were

– Laurie Lieberman 24.67% or 18,911 votes.
– Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein 21.48% – 16,467 votes.
– Oscar De La Torre 21.08% – 16,165 votes … and
– Craig Foster 19.54% … with 14,985 votes.

The lone challenger … Ann Maggio Thanawalla … could not break in.

She got 13.23% of the vote … or 10,142 ballots.

Bottom line – Malibu retains its loan representative on the seven-member school board … Craig Foster.

And the critical school board election passed.