Compton Voters May Be Baffled by 2 ‘Measure Cs’

Compton voters are in for a case of electoral double vision Tuesday, when residents will be asked to decide on two costly ballot measures that both carry the designation “Measure C.”

In a move that some view as an attempt to bamboozle voters, Compton’s longtime city clerk has placed identical labels on two very different ballot items. One of the Measure Cs asks voters to approve a $107-million school repair bond; the other Measure C seeks approval of a special, five-year tax assessment to hire 75 more police officers.

Although the measures are printed on separate ballots, proponents of each fear that voters will become confused and simply decide to vote against both. They are scrambling to tell voters that the measures aren’t related and that residents will have to vote twice.

But if the labeling has caused supporters distress, the man who made the decision said he has no problems with it. Charles Davis, the city’s blunt-speaking city clerk, said he opposes both measures on the grounds that they will increase taxes.

“Our taxes are some of the highest in the county right now,” Davis said. “It’s too much. This is going to send us upside down. It’ll kill our tax base.”

Although he takes credit for the matching labels, Davis refused to say whether his goal was to help defeat the measures.

“I did it, and I did it intentionally,” Davis said. “I like the letter C.”

The ballot labeling has also highlighted tension arising from the state’s takeover of the troubled school district. Much of the tension exists between state administrators of the district, and city residents and officials who want to see the schools returned to local control.

Tuesday’s vote will mark the school district’s third attempt at passing the bond, which narrowly missed the two-thirds majority required for passage the last time around. The bond, according to administrators, would be used to fix up aging classrooms, plumbing, playgrounds, roofs and cafeteria equipment, and to expand school technology. The cost to voters would be roughly 71 cents per $1,000 of property valuation.

As in past elections, the school repair bond has encountered strong opposition. Among those who have voiced criticism of the bond are a majority of the school board--which acts in an advisory capacity only--and the City Council.

Fausto Capobianco, a spokesman for the school administration, said the labeling decision was only one in a string of attempts to foil the vote. Before his labeling decision, the city clerk sought unsuccessfully to have the bond measure removed from the ballot and attempted to prevent the district’s administration from mailing out information on the bond, including voter registration forms.

“The city’s tried to do everything it can to get us off the ballot,” Capobianco said. “Now we have this peculiar situation. I don’t know if it was deliberate, but it appears as though it’s going to confuse voters.”

At least one district employee, who declined to be named, said district workers believed that the ballot labeling was a deliberate attempt to confuse voters.

The city’s own Measure C seeks to hire 75 new police officers, as well as necessary support staff and vehicles. The five-year plan would cost the average property owner $75 the first year, $141 the second year, $219 the third year, $293 the fourth year and $359 the final year. City officials say the Compton Police Department is below the national average of on-duty officers per 1,000 residents, and that hiring more officers is part of a citywide revitalization effort.

Ironically, some city officials worry that the stand they took against the school bond might spell trouble for their own measure now that it carries the same label.

“That is sort of an issue,” said Keith Davis, a city spokesman who is not related to the city clerk. “I think for some people, seniors for instance, it will be confusing. It will also cause problems with absentee ballots.”

There are those, however, who believe the labeling is not a problem.

“I think our voters are pretty intelligent,” said Leslie Irving, a school board member who does support the city bond. “They’ll work through it because I think they’re clear on the issues.”

In addition to the two measures, voters will be asked to decide on two City Council seats. Six candidates are running for each of the seats. Polls will open Tuesday at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.