Los Rios’ poorly explained Measure H tax claim could confuse voters
Los Rios risks confusing voters — particularly those wary of property taxes and government borrowing
ELK GROVE, Calif. — Los Rios Community College District is telling voters that its $1.1 billion Measure H bond proposal will not increase tax rates, but the district has not disclosed what the measure’s tax rate would be when the bonds are first issued.
The district also has not provided a year-by-year schedule showing how Measure H taxes would replace declining levies for previously approved bonds.
Measure H would authorize new debt and a new property-tax levy. It is not a continuation or renewal of the district’s existing bonds.
If Measure H is approved, Los Rios expects to issue the new bonds in stages as tax levies for older bonds decline. The district says this timing would allow the new Measure H levy to replace declining portions of the existing levy without pushing the combined rate above the recent $20.80 per $100,000 of assessed value.
That means Measure H may not increase the recent overall rate, but it would prevent an expected reduction and extend Los Rios bond taxation through fiscal year 2050-51.
The distinction is not clearly explained in a four-page information packet recently mailed to voters. The mailer repeatedly emphasizes “no increase in tax rates” and says only that “the term of the tax rates will be extended.”
The practical difference can be summarized this way:
| If Measure H fails | If Measure H passes | |
|---|---|---|
| New Measure H debt | None | Up to $1.1 billion |
| New Measure H levy | None | Phased in as older levies decline |
| Existing bond taxes | Continue under current repayment schedules | Continue declining as Measure H bonds are issued |
| Combined tax rate | Expected to decline as older bonds are repaid | Projected to remain at or below $20.80 per $100,000 |
| Length of taxation | Governed by existing bonds | Measure H levy could continue through 2050-51 |
In 2025-26, the combined Los Rios bond-tax rate was $20.80 per $100,000 of assessed value. On an Elk Grove property assessed at $600,000, that equals $124.80 annually.
Los Rios estimates Measure H would carry an average annual levy of $16.55 per $100,000 over the life of the new bonds. That would average $99.30 annually on a $600,000 assessment, but it is not necessarily the rate property owners would pay when the first Measure H bonds are issued.
The $99.30 also would not be added to the existing $124.80 bill. It would become part of the combined Los Rios bond levy as taxes for older debt decline.
If the district’s projection proves accurate, a homeowner currently paying $124.80 on a $600,000 assessed value would pay no more than approximately that amount after Measure H bonds are issued. If Measure H fails, existing bond taxes would remain but should decline without being replaced by the new levy.
The district’s explanation may prove politically costly. By emphasizing “no increase in tax rates” without clearly stating that Measure H creates new debt, imposes a new levy and prevents an expected tax reduction, Los Rios risks confusing voters — particularly those wary of property taxes and government borrowing.
Measure H needs 55% approval, meaning uncertainty could become a significant obstacle. Voters who cannot determine what a proposal will cost them may default to voting no.
Without a clearer explanation from Los Rios, an otherwise viable facilities measure could be vulnerable to defeat because of how it was presented rather than solely because of what it would fund.
