MUSD Election Preview: Challenger Outspending Incumbent in Lone Competitive Race; Ballot Arguments over Bond Measure

Challenger Logan Campbell is getting significant support in his bid to unseat incumbent Carlos Melendez for the Trustee Area 1 seat; opposition surfaces to Measure O

With ballots arriving in the mail for the Nov. 5 election and early voting underway, I’ll be devoting the next few weeks of this newsletter to local races. Here is a look at what’s happening in the Martinez Unified School District.

Typically in local elections, the incumbent has the advantage in campaign contributions, endorsements and other resources over any challenger. But that is not the way things are playing out in the lone competitive race for the Martinez Unified School District Board of Trustees.

Campaign finance reports show that challenger Logan Campbell has raised at least $2,730 so far in his bid to unseat incumbent Carlos Melendez. As of Sept. 21, he had spent $2,563 on his campaign (a map showing the boundaries of the trustee area that will be voting in this race can be found by clicking here).

Melendez, on the other hand, submitted a campaign finance statement declaring that he would raise and spend less than $2,000 on his campaign, meaning he does not have to disclose any individual contributions. So whatever he raises and spends on his campaign will be less than Campbell (the next campaign finance filing deadline is Oct. 19).

Campbell’s largest contributions, according to filings thus far, have come from Thousand Friends of Martinez and the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, which have each given him $1,000 (disclosure: I have contributed $50 to Campbell’s campaign).

Campbell, a small business owner and community activist, is also racking up endorsements in the race, according to his campaign website. They include Mayor Brianne Zorn, Councilmembers Jay Howard and Mark Ross, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, county supervisors John Gioia and Ken Carlson, county schools Superintendent Lynn Mackey and MUSD board member Yazmin Llamas.

Campbell is also backed by the California Democratic Party and several local labor organizations, but in a departure from past practice, the MUSD teachers union (Martinez Education Association) has apparently decided not to issue an endorsement this year after a controversy erupted in 2022 when information emerged that its endorsed candidate was a regular financial contributor to WinRed, the primary fundraising platform for Donald Trump and other MAGA candidates throughout the country. The MEA, which also engaged in a contentious contract dispute with the board last year despite the fact that a majority of board members ran on pro-labor platforms, decided to stick with its endorsed candidate after the contributions came to light; the candidate lost by a large margin to Llamas.

Campbell also has the backing of Thousand Friends of Martinez, which focuses on open space initiatives and often has expressed wariness toward housing development in town (as I detailed in this recent post). Facing a loss of enrollment as families are increasingly priced out of the district because of housing costs, and struggles to recruit and retain quality educators for the same reason, the school board has recently taken an aggressive stance on the topic, instructing Superintendent Helen Rossi to explore options for turning underutilized district properties into workforce housing. Campbell’s platform expresses support for workforce housing initiatives on district property.

Campbell’s support from trade unions may come into play if he wins the race and the district’s Measure O bond measure (see more on that below) passes. As was the case when the district’s last bond measure passed in 2016, local trade unions are expected to push for a project labor agreement that prioritizes union labor in construction projects that result from the new bond. The debate over such an agreement created divisions among board members in 2018 before it was approved; no members of that board remain today, and the political makeup of the current board is such that a PLA likely would garner majority support regardless of the outcome of this race. PLAs typically require contractors on projects to hire employees through union hiring halls and/or follow union rules on pensions and work conditions.

According to Campbell’s campaign Facebook page, he is planning to hold a meet-and-greet with voters today (Oct. 13) from 1 to 3 p.m. at Campy Ricks Park.

Melendez was appointed to the Area 1 seat in 2021 after a chaotic process that saw the initial appointment deemed illegal and board members fail to agree on two other candidates who were nominated. He has yet to win a competitive election, losing to incumbent Jonathan Wright (who resigned the seat less than a year later) in the 2020 election and running unopposed in 2022 when he was required to stand for election to fill out the remainder of the term.

Melendez drew significant backlash from the district’s LGBTQ+ community and their supporters last year when he initially opposed flying the Pride flag at the district office during Pride Month in June. After coming under intense criticism at a board meeting, he ultimately voted with the rest of the board to raise the flag. He again voted with the rest of the board earlier this year when it decided to also fly the flag at school sites while school was still in session during Pride Month.

Melendez seems to have run a low-key campaign so far, but he does have support from an independent parents group that put out a flyer endorsing him. “He is here for us, our kids and our community,” the flyer reads, going on to say: “Carlos is reasonable and does not politicize his position.”

Currently serving as board vice president, Melendez would be next in line to be president if he wins in November and the board sticks with the normal rotation schedule when it reorganizes in December.

Two other seats on the board were up for election this year, but incumbents Courtney Masella-O’Brien and Anne Horack Martin drew no challengers and will automatically earn new four-year terms. Llamas is running for the Contra Costa County Board of Education; if she wins, the board will be tasked with appointing a replacement to fill out the remaining two years of her term.

Below are the official candidate statements that Campbell and Melendez filed with the county Elections Office and which were sent to voters in their Trustee Area:

CARLOS M. MELENDEZ

Appointed Incumbent

As a Martinez resident of over 20 years and parent of 3 MUSD students, I believe that change and improvement start locally. As a licensed engineer, I use facts and figures balanced with need and reason to guide my decision-making. Our District continues to improve, but not without challenges that require us to focus on creating and providing the best opportunity for our children to succeed in this local, state, national, and world market.

As Trustee, I strive to improve the Martinez Schools through conservative fiscal management, focus on improved facilities, and expand learning opportunities. I have worked at sticking to the basics of education while supporting families to develop well-rounded youth and working with community leaders to improve communication, expenditures, and staff relationships. I have supported the significant pay increase for our MUSD Staff, aided in facilitating more Career Technical Education (CTE) tracks for the District, initiated and led the ACE (Architecture, Construction & Engineering) Mentor Team at AHS, participated in the District Facilities Committee, and worked to improve communication between the City of Martinez and the District

By supporting our MUSD Staff, listening and responding to our families, and investing in our facilities, Martinez and the District can continue to improve and set a standard to which others aspire! I look forward to continuing to represent Area 1 on the School Board. Thank you for your vote.

LOGAN CAMPBELL

Small Business Owner

As a lifelong resident of Martinez and a product of its public school system, I aim to contribute my time and skills to the Martinez Unified School District (MUSD) to provide students with a high-quality education that prepares them for success. My experience as a small business owner and community member has given me a unique perspective on the needs of our youth, and I am committed to offering transformational leadership that addresses the challenges facing MUSD, including fiscal and operational mismanagement and a lack of accountability.

I’m running for Martinez School Board because I believe that every student in our district deserves an educational environment that will support and challenge them so that they can see just how far they can go. I’m an engaged member of the Martinez community, I have served on various commissions and boards, including the Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board, Loaves and Fishes, Martinez Measure D committee which has provided me with a broad perspective on community needs especially for our youth and at-risk youth.

I am committed to creating a dynamic and inclusive learning environment that empowers students to reach their full potential. I envision a future where every MUSD student has access to a top-notch education that exposes them to trades, entrepreneurships, and an academic education that allows them to reach their full potential and that meets the needs of all students, families, and staff. I would be honored to earn your support in making this vision a reality.

Measure O

After narrowly failing to secure the 55% majority required for a similar measure in 2022, MUSD is asking voters to pass a $90 million bond measure that would complete its capital projects master plan. This would be the third district bond assessment to land on district property owners’ property tax bills, following ones passed in 2010 and 2016.

The previous bonds have gone largely toward replacing and modernizing the district’s elementary schools as well as Vicente Martinez High School and the Briones Independent Study Program. The latest, Measure O, would be focused on infrastructure improvements at Martinez Junior High School and Alhambra High School, as well as a potential rebuild and relocation of the Martinez Adult Education facility, which is hobbled by several structural deficiencies.

A voter survey commissioned by the district indicated an encouraging level of support for a new bond, but opposition has also emerged, as seen in the dueling ballot arguments for Measure O in the official voter information guide.

The argument submitted in favor of Measure O by former MUSD board members Jeremie Ginelli and Bobbi Horack, along with three other community members, says “our children’s quality education is at risk” from ageing facilities and that Measure O will allow the district to “complete its Master Plan by improving facilities at the junior and senior high schools, the Adult Education program, and upgrading classrooms, labs, and job training opportunities across the District to provide high-quality education to students.” It highlights planned projects such as replacing roofing and failing HVAC and electrical systems and upgrading outdated fencing, alarms and surveillance systems.

The ballot argument against Measure O, submitted by resident/business owner Pedro Babiak and James Pezzaglia of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, says district voters “must be understandably fatigued” after passing previous bond measures and a parcel tax extension in March. It points out that as of June 30, MUSD still had $198 million in outstanding debt from previously issued bonds. “That’s a big debt load for a district with Fall 2022 Census Day enrollment of 3,772 pupils — down 9.4% from Fall 2018.” It advocates for allowing homeowners to pay down existing obligations before “saddling them” with another bond “requiring an estimated $198 million of debt service (principal plus interest) through the 2058-59 school year.

A rebuttal to the argument against Measure O, signed by Mayor Brianne Zorn, former school board member Nancy Hobert and three other community members, says: “By not addressing our facility needs now, we are kicking the can down the road and our facilities will get worse.”

The rebuttal from opponents of the measure argues that the district should “budget for structural improvements out of existing revenue rather than further the financial burden on Martinez property tax bills.”

Two years ago, proponents of Measure K failed despite raking in roughly $52,000 in campaign contributions from supporters, primarily construction and labor groups that stood to benefit from its passage. There’s no indication so far that Measure O is drawing that type of campaign money; I could find no filings on the county campaign finance portal showing any contributions to a pro-Measure O effort. The next campaign filing deadline is Oct. 19, though contributions of at least $1,000 from a single source must be reported within 24 hours of being received.

My take on Measure O: I voted no on the 2022 bond measure, for some of the same reasons that opponents are raising now. But my opposition was primarily rooted in my frustration with many decisions and actions taken by previous school boards that I didn’t believe adequately addressed the emotional and academic needs of our students, both before and during the pandemic, or showed respect for the interests district taxpayers or democratic principles (such as the illegal board appointment in 2021 and a troubling trend over many years of board members abruptly resigning in the middle of, or even early in, their terms, allowing their colleagues rather than voters to pick replacements). I feared that a new bond, and political wrangling over the construction projects that would ensue, would divert critical time and resources from the welfare of students when that needed to be the district’s overwhelming focus after the devastation of the pandemic.

In monitoring school board meetings over the past two years, I have been impressed by positive steps I’ve seen the district take in centering student welfare issues and addressing systemic challenges such as equity, inclusion, racism and LGBTQ+ rights. The district also prioritized student mental and emotional health initiatives, which I believe to be an essential precursor to achieving academic progress that was lost during the pandemic shutdowns. Much work remains, and things are far from perfect (last year’s needlessly prolonged teachers contract dispute didn’t help matters), but based on what I’ve seen, I’m hopeful that this board and district are on the right track and again putting student interests first.

It’s also important to me that the district, and proponents of the bond, be transparent with voters about what this bond will cost and what projects it will fund. I was concerned by some initial discussions at a board meeting with the district’s bond consultant that suggested the district might be better served by downplaying the adult school project in the bond language and district messaging out of concern that voters would be less inclined to support a measure that didn’t exclusively benefit K-12 education. I spoke out adamantly against this temptation in public comment and made clear my view that transparency and honesty with voters should be a prerequisite for placing any new tax on the ballot, particularly at a time where trust in democracy and democratic institutions needs to be strengthened. Fortunately, board members (led by Tania Brugger, who initially raised the concern about the adult school component being downplayed) felt the same way and ensured that the adult school was properly mentioned in both the ballot language and district messaging (though I would have preferred that the district made more clear its intention to rebuild the adult school, as well as provided more transparency about how much taxpayers are already paying to fund past bond measures, upon which this one would be tacked).

I also believe that some projects this bond measure would fund are needed and worthwhile. As someone who has taken classes at the adult school from time to time, I can attest that it has fallen into an embarrassing structural state and badly needs to be replaced. A huge side benefit of relocating and replacing the adult school could be opening the current site for desperately needed affordable housing in our community, which could help to reverse the district’s recent enrollment declines and improve the quality of education provided to our students by giving more qualified teachers an opportunity to live at a reasonable cost in the city where they teach — and to stay here.

As a longtime advocate for school safety, I’m also pleased to see plans to improve the security of Alhambra High School through fencing and alarm systems. The sad reality is that school violence remains an ever-present threat throughout our country, including Martinez, and this threat weighs on our students, whether they voice it or not. Absent needed federal legislation to keep weapons out of the hands of dangerous individuals and address the root causes of gun and other violence, school districts should do everything in their power to make students and staff feel safe — which will only aid their emotional well-being and ability to succeed in the classroom.

I agree that many families in Martinez, as elsewhere, are struggling from the burden of rising taxes and other living costs — and that local politicians have too often been insensitive to these burdens. With so many struggling to afford their mortgage payments and annual increases in their property tax assessments, I’m wary of increasing that burden. At the same time, the annual cost of this bond, estimated at $38.40 per $100,000 of assessed valuation, will be a relatively minor addition to the current financial burden of district homeowners, and I think the potential benefits outweigh that increased burden. That said, political leaders at the national, state and local levels need to do a lot more than they have to date to try to alleviate these burdens, which are weighing down too many families, and take aggressive action, starting with lowering housing and other daily living costs for those of moderate or low incomes. For too long, local politicians have played up the perks of new taxes while failing to acknowledge — or even downplaying — their mounting impact on financially stretched taxpayers, particularly young adults and families. That needs to change. If this bond passes and it paves the way for a significant development of affordable housing at the current adult school site, our community will take an important first step in that direction.

I will vote Yes on Measure O.

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