Proposition O – Create a Parcel Tax to Fund City College

Prop O would secure $43 million a year for the City College of San Francisco through a parcel tax, or property tax for property owners that increases by size of the unit.

The City College of San Francisco has seen hundreds of layoffs and course cuts in the recent year. Enrollment has dropped from 73,000 in 2012 to just 24,500 today. City college is extremely important as it is the only free college in our city, being an important opportunity for working-class students of color wanting to earn a degree.

The parcel tax would support educational programs for students like job trainings, basic skills classes, and other services to provide students with what they need to complete their studies. For these reasons, Bay Rising Action urges voters to vote YES on Prop O.

Admittedly, this is a regressive way to raise funds, and we would prefer for community college to be fully funded. However, our communities have long suffered from unfair tax rules that favor millionaires, billionaires, and big corporations. That’s why we support fair, equitable taxes — for budgets that will fully and reliably ensure our children will inherit quality public education and public services, no matter what they look like or where they come from. In the meantime, we need to ensure that our communities have access to the resources they need, and this parcel tax is a necessary step to do that.