Daily Post Opinion: No on J — negotiate a better deal; this one is deceptive and lacks transparency

We’d like to see the dilapidated Cubberley Community Center renovated and turned into a source of pride for Palo Alto. But Measure J is a fundamentally flawed, fiscally irresponsible and non-transparent mechanism to achieve it. We strongly recommend a “no” vote on this permanent half-cent sales tax increase. 

City officials pitch Measure J as a way to raise approximately $15.6 million annually, primarily to fund the $65.5 million purchase of seven acres of Cubberley from the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). 

We already own this land

First and foremost, the entire premise of this transaction begs a glaring question: Why are Palo Alto taxpayers being asked to hand over $65.5 million to a school district that serves the exact same taxpayers? This is a redundant shell game moving public funds from one local pocket to another.

Instead of forcing a massive cash transfer, PAUSD should contribute this surplus land to the city for free, or enter into a long-term lease agreement — such as $1 a year for 50 years. Local families shouldn’t have to tax themselves indefinitely just to buy land they already support through their property taxes.

Compounding this absurdity is the alarming lack of transparency surrounding the real estate deal. The price negotiations between the city council and the school district were held entirely behind closed doors. Just yesterday, the public finally learned that PAUSD originally demanded an outrageous $90 million for the seven-acre plot. 

Appraisal kept secret

The city hired a professional appraiser to generate a formal valuation report. Yet, the city is keeping that full report completely secret from the public ahead of the election. The public is being asked to pay the bill but isn’t allowed to see the appraisal. Just on principle, voters should reject Measure J until they get the full story.

Also yesterday, the city reluctantly revealed a tiny glimpse of that appraisal, disclosing that the evaluator placed the land’s value somewhere between $43.6 million and $60.2 million in 2024 dollars. A massive $16.6 million spread tells us the appraisal is wildly imprecise and practically worthless. This volatility is a natural byproduct of a broken process — there simply aren’t any comparable, recently sold properties zoned exclusively for public facilities in Palo Alto to serve as a benchmark.

Despite this, the city forged ahead and agreed to pay $65.5 million — an amount that exceeds even the absolute highest end of their own vague appraisal. To manipulate public perception and make it look like a victory, officials claim the land’s value will magically catch up via inflation by the time the sale officially closes in 2027. This is creative accounting at its worst. Voters deserve to see the actual appraisal report to understand exactly what risks and structural concerns the appraiser flagged regarding this bloated price tag.

Even if you support the real estate transaction, Measure J itself is a dangerous blank check. Unlike typical school bonds or parcel taxes that come with a definitive sunset date, Measure J has no end date — the tax would last forever. Furthermore, because it is structured as a general tax, the text of the measure contains absolutely no legal guarantee that the money will actually go toward purchasing or fixing Cubberley. 

In a blatant attempt to deceive voters, the city called Measure J a “Community Safety/Services Measure” on the ballot to trick uninformed voters into believing the tax had something to do with police or firefighting. 

The ballot question completely omitted the land purchase because internal polling showed low voter support for buying the land. Once approved, these millions will flood into the city’s General Fund, legally free to be spent on whatever City Hall pleases — whether that means hiring more expensive consultants, buying take-home cars for employees or paying for more out-of-town trips for city administrators.

Palo Alto can, and must, negotiate a better deal for Cubberley. Reject this unaccountable, permanent tax hike. Vote “no” on Measure J.