5,849 / 71.8% Yes votes ...... 2294 / 28.2% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

The City estimates that the total cost of the grade separation project will be 13 million dollars. In addition to the proposed issuance of up to 8 million dollars in general obligation bonds, the City has set aside approximately 5 million dollars in transportation funding reserves from other available sources in order to fund the construction or acquisition of the grade separation project.

As currently planned without a grade separation, the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension will cross two Arcadia streets at street grade level: (1) Santa Anita Avenue and (2) the intersection of First Avenue and Santa Clara Street. Approval of Measure A would permit construction or acquisition of a grade separation where the railway crosses Santa Anita Avenue. The Gold Line Authority, which will oversee construction of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension, will not pay for a grade separation based upon existing criteria. Thus, the City of Arcadia would have to fund the grade separation if the City chooses to construct or acquire it.

Article 13A of the California Constitution allows a city to issue general obligation bonds with the approval of a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the electorate voting on the proposition in order to acquire land and finance municipal improvements. In order to pay for general obligation bonds, property owners would pay an “ad valorem” tax based upon the assessed value of property, not the market value. The term of the bonds could not exceed 30 years. The tax rates necessary for payment of principal and interest on any bonds sold will be largely dictated by the timing of bond sale, the amount of bonds sold, market interest rates at the time of sale (in no event greater than the maximum bond net interest rate allowed by law), as well as actual assessed valuation of taxable property in the City over the term of repayment. The City estimates that the tax would be equal to $6.97 for each $100,000 of assessed property valuation (rather than market value).

A "yes" vote is a vote in favor of authorizing the City of Arcadia to issue general obligation bonds not to exceed the principal amount of $8 million to construct or acquire the railway grade separation described above.

A "no" vote is a vote not to authorize the issuance of said bonds.