Two years ago, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association endorsed just over half the local school bond measures on the November ballot.<\/p>\n
This year, the group is backing all but one.<\/p>\n
These are different times for the SDCTA on several levels.<\/p>\n
For one thing, there\u2019s the number of bond proposals. In 2024, there were 22, with the association backing 12. This year, nine are heading to the ballot, eight with SDCTA\u2019s endorsement.<\/p>\n
The association says it maintains a consistent, rigorous assessment of proposed bond and tax measures.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe evaluate every measure the same way \u2014 on the strength of the spending plan, the accountability safeguards in place, and whether the agency has earned the public\u2019s trust with the dollars it already manages,\u201d Mark Kersey, president and CEO of the association, said in a statement earlier this month when the organization announced its positions<\/a> on local ballot measures.<\/p>\n Not everybody felt that way before Kersey was named to the post in February and the SDCTA was overhauled into a leaner operation. The 81-year-old organization had been rocked by two scandals that tarnished its image and raised questions about the value of its endorsements.<\/p>\n Extensive budget irregularities that had been occurring for some time surfaced last year, leaving the organization that demands exacting fiscal standards of government agencies basically broke, according<\/a> to Jeff McDonald of The San Diego Union-Tribune.<\/p>\n At the same time, some school officials accused SDCTA of essentially engaging in a pay-to-play scheme for endorsements and other unethical behavior that they believed affected decisions on endorsements, the Voice of San Diego reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Former CEO Haney Hong abruptly resigned just before the scandals became public and, for a time, the SDCTA couldn\u2019t even pay an interim replacement<\/a>.<\/p>\n A few months after Kersey was hired, the association started trying to regain its profile as a watchdog by issuing two separate reports critical of the finances and management of San Diego\u2019s city<\/a> and county<\/a> governments.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a notable change was made before the assessments of this year\u2019s school bond measures. Critics noted that in 2024 SDCTA again held a course on school bonds, but charged much more than in earlier years \u2014 $1,200 per person. Some school officials balked and later openly questioned whether it was a fundraising tool and if endorsements were linked to attendance.<\/p>\n Even a former SDCTA board member expressed concern about the potential conflict, according to the Voice of San Diego.<\/p>\n A similar course was held by SDCTA this past May, but the fee was $100.<\/p>\n Kersey said he didn\u2019t think there were trust issues with school districts today because of the past controversies.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe so,\u201d he said in an interview. \u201c\u2026We have open lines of communication.\u201d<\/p>\n The Santee School District\u2019s bond measure two years ago was endorsed by the association, but district officials criticized the process because of Hong\u2019s attempt to attach conditions. This time around, the district had nothing but compliments.<\/p>\n \u201cSDCTA\u2019s review and endorsement process was very professional, and staff provided our team with excellent communication throughout the process,\u201d the district said in an email.<\/p>\n \u201cThe process for seeking an endorsement from the SDCTA board was very similar to years past \u2026 however the criteria for the endorsement was streamlined. \u2026 we felt very confident in the process used this year.\u201d<\/p>\n Two Santee district officials attended the bond course, including Superintendent Kristin Baranski. \u201cIt was made very clear that our attendance at that event did not impact a potential endorsement by SDCTA,\u201d the email said.<\/p>\n The email concluded that the association has signed the ballot argument for the district\u2019s Measure BB, a $30 million bond proposal, \u201cwith no conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2024, after the SDCTA board already endorsed the Santee bond, Hong initially demanded the district in its bond ballot argument oppose a city of Santee sales tax on the ballot, or withdraw any mention of the association\u2019s support from the ballot argument. The district refused, SDCTA backed down, and Hong signed the argument.<\/p>\n