No one in the Santa Clarita Valley has monitored local school bonds more than I have. That is why I am not surprised that the Saugus Union School District would place Measure N on the November ballot. Local bureaucrats get real nervous when confronted with the fact that they may need to run the schools without borrowing more money and layering debt issuances on an unsuspecting public. Measure N does not met the minimum requirement for a lowered supermajority vote (55%) for approval. The district is required to prepare a list of projects “to be funded,” not a wish list of things it might be nice to do. Their list of projects will cost far more than the $187 million credit line they are asking you to approve. The district leadership has really failed the taxpayers. What will you really get out of this? Review the ballot label. The district withheld the true estimated cost of the bond over 30 years, an eye-popping $415 million over 30 years, and made a disingenuous decision to bury it deep in the tax rate statement. This is the first sign of a “dishonest” ballot label. Stop the shenanigans and require them to develop an honest ballot question. Vote no! Ostensibly, the district has decided after spending millions of Measure EE dollars that they have to consider earthquake safety and other natural/manmade disasters. The leadership decided to move forward with this bond “scam” before the California Department of State Architects provided any guidance as to the extent of work required at the various school sites.  The cart is placed before the horse. I am deeply concerned that fear of the future is being used to scare voters into voting for borrowed funds that may be squandered, or of very marginal value that do nothing to improve student performance. In the age of drones, do we really need to build 8-foot no-climb fences that “imprison” our students and serve to create a negative learning environment? If they really want to keep students safe, let them pay for an armed resource officer on each campus. In my heart, I believe “safety issues” are being used as a ruse by the district to, in part, promote the politically inspired dual immersion language program at Highlands Elementary. This controversial program has never been reviewed to make sure that it is performing within the standards promised when instituted in 2019. The permanent structures proposed to replace portables at Highlands were supposed to have been paid for with Measure EE funds. What happened? Vote no to hold the Saugus administration accountable. The other vanity project where we will see funds spent will be on transitional kindergarten for 4-year-olds. This is a favorite program of Gov. Gavin Newsom, but it was implemented as an unfunded mandate. By voting no, we can send a signal to Sacramento that politicians need to pay for programs of marginal value that are happily passed down to the districts to fund.  Residents of the SCV love their children and desire a quality education for them. However, it is time to ask serious questions about what happens behind the fences and walls in the Saugus District, rather than concentrate on expensive capital projects. The only way to get the attention of the administration and the Saugus trustees is to vote no on Measure N in November. A note: I have been widely disparaged for expressing my opinion on local bond projects since I relocated to Douglas County, Georgia. I believe my extensive knowledge and expertise in this area should not be wasted. My wife and I continue to own rental property in the district, we will pay income tax in California, and the additional real estate tax assessment required by local bond measures.  Don’t be fooled, research the issue. I urge you to cast a no vote. Steve Petzold Former Santa Clarita resident Douglas County, Georgia The post Steve Petzold | What Will SUSD Taxpayers Get? appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.