Second Survey Shows No-Go for Bonds

A new version of a March survey of voters has yielded neither surprises nor changes of heart.

The Berkeley City Council authorized Lake Research Partners to conduct this second community survey to provide direction for possible revenue measures in the November ballot.

Only one of the proposed city measures enjoys majority support but none could garner the required two-thirds support to pass either a bond or a tax.

The streets and watersheds measures have the potential to reach the 67 percent threshold, but only if voters learn more about them -- and, presumably, like what they hear.

A majority of Berkeley voters (58 percent) believe the city is headed in the right direction. Nineteen percent say Berkeley took a wrong turn.

Only the governor’s education measure enjoyed a definitive backing.

Several issues and projects enjoy the favor of the majority, but not by the margins required for passage.

Although a robust contingent of supporters turned out to beat the gong for warm water pools, only 23 were willing to commit to a bond, and 23 percent to a tax, to pay for the renovations.

In a March survey that preceded this one, more than the necessary two-thirds majority of voters rated upgrades to both streets and storm drains as extremely or very important. However, an inadequate number was willing to ante up for either repairs or services.