Berkeley's $300 Million Measure U Would Rebuild Fire Stations and Parks, if Two-Thirds of Voters Agree

Berkeley voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to borrow $300 million for fire stations, parks, seismic repairs and other city facilities, in a measure that needs a two-thirds supermajority to pass.

The City Council voted unanimously to place Measure U on the ballot. According to the City Attorney's impartial analysis, the general obligation bonds would be repaid through property taxes. The city estimates an average cost of about $22.14 per $100,000 of assessed value each year over the roughly 40 years the bonds would be outstanding, with a peak rate of about $35 per $100,000 expected around 2040-41.

Where the money would go

Berkeleyside reports the city's spending plan lists about three dozen projects. About $107 million would go to the Fire Department to replace Station 4 on Marin Avenue and Station 6 on Cedar Street, both more than 60 years old, and to build a new training center in Northwest Berkeley. About $91 million is set for parks, including a $36.9 million rebuild of the Frances Albrier Community Center in San Pablo Park, new restrooms at several parks and the waterfront, and a seawall and Bay Trail work at the Marina. Another $75 million would cover critical infrastructure, such as a new home for 911 dispatchers and seismic work at Old City Hall and the Veterans Memorial Building.

The measure requires all-electric construction in most cases, audits by the City Auditor at least every three years, and annual reports to the council, the city's analysis says.

The case for and against

Supporters, including Mayor Adena Ishii and the full council, say costs only grow the longer the city waits, and point to the 2016 Measure T1 bond as proof Berkeley can deliver. Campaign manager Rebecca Mirvish said residents can see T1's results around the city every day.

Opponents with the group Affordable Berkeley argue the list isn't binding and rising costs could repeat T1's 2023 shortfall, when some projects were dropped. Geoffrey Lomax and former commissioner Jim McGrath said they would have backed a narrower bond focused on fire facilities and core infrastructure.

Clearing two-thirds won't be easy. A $600 million bond in 2022 drew 59%, and a city poll in April found 69% of likely voters leaning yes, within its margin of error. The deadline to register online or by mail in Alameda County is Oct. 19.