Voters in the Sausalito Marin City School District will decide in the June 2 election whether to support Measure I, a $12.5 million bond to rebuild an athletic field in Marin City.
The measure would levy a tax of about $8 per $100,000 of assessed valuation per property annually for 30 years. For the average home assessed at about $600,000, the annual tax would be $48 per property.
The tax would be on top of about $42.80 per $100,000 of assessed valuation currently levied annually for two previous voter-approved bond measures, the $15.9 million Measure I in 2004 and the $41.6 million Measure P in 2020.
Voters also approved the Measure G parcel tax in 2024. It charges 15 cents per 1,000 square feet of building area per property. For an average home of about 1,500 square feet, the parcel tax is about $225 annually.
Measure I needs a 55% approval by voters to pass in June. Under California law, no seniors’ exemptions are allowed for bond measures. Parcel taxes often allow for exemptions for seniors and people with disabilities.
Proceeds from Measure I would be used to renovate the 140,000-square-foot Phillips Field for use by youth football, soccer, lacrosse, baseball, softball and flag football teams and clubs. The bond money would also pay for amenities such as parking, restrooms and a 400-meter circular track.
“It really is an opportunity to revitalize a completely dilapidated, unusable field in Marin City,” said Emily Uhlhorn, a volunteer on the Measure I campaign committee. “It would provide, not only children but the entire broader community, with a safe place to grow and play.”
The field, originally staked out in the 1990s near the district office in Marin City, has been virtually unplayable for at least the last decade. The 1990s model had no sprinklers, no track and no disability access.
“I don’t ever want to see this field in that situation again,” said Bonnie Hough, a longtime school district trustee.
Hough said the bond money would also pay for an underground stormwater retention system to offset the flooding that has frequently plagued that area.
“We don’t know what’s underneath that field,” Hough said. “We’ve got to get it done right.”
Hough noted that the first phase of the field restoration plan has already been approved by the Division of the State Architect, which oversees all public school construction.
“That means that if we get Measure I approved, we’ll be able to begin construction right away,” Hough said. “The urgency now is that there is no place for our kids to get out and play — this is the only open space left.”
Board president Caroline Tiziani said she expects that when the field is finished, there will be intense interest from area youth sports clubs in renting it.
“We live in an area that is not flat,” Tiziani said. “To find any flat field is a big advantage.” Revenue from rentals could cover ongoing maintenance, she said.
Hough said she is interested in creating a community advisory board to guide the field’s operations.
“It’s an incredible space,” Hough said. “There’s a lot of kids, with a lot of need for them to be competitive in sports as they move up to Tam and Archie,” she added, referring to Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley and Archie Williams High School in San Anselmo.
Other supporters listed on the ballot argument in favor include: Paul Austin, founder of the nonprofit Play Marin; Ida Times Green, a former district trustee who is a trustee for the Tamalpais Union High School District; U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman; Becky Bingea, president of the League of Women Voters of Marin; and Joan Cox, a member of the Sausalito City Council.
No opposing argument was filed.