Bond measure on Marin City athletic field heads to voters

Voters in the Sausalito Marin City School District will decide this spring whether to endorse a $12.5 million bond measure to finance the restoration of an athletic field in Marin City.

Trustees voted unanimously on Wednesday to place the bond measure on the June 2 ballot. The measure would levy a tax of $8 per $100,000 of assessed valuation per property annually. The measure will require approval by 55% of district voters.

Caroline Tiziani, president of the school district board, said the bond proposal is “the culmination of months of planning and collaboration by community members, educators, youth sports teams and civic organizations to develop a cost-effective plan to improve playfields for local children.”

The lack of field space in the community “has been a problem for many years,” Tiziani said.

“We believe this measure will not only improve access to healthy outdoor play areas, but will be a significant community improvement for all residents,” she said.

Phillips Field is a district-owned site near the school district offices in Marin City that has been in disrepair for about a decade. Although some groups such as the Marin Highlanders Rugby Club play there on occasion, most local youth athletic club leaders say the field is muddy, rutted and virtually unusable.

The bond measure would finance the restoration of the field to playable status, and would cover amenities such as restrooms and parking.

“By choosing this path, the school board is ensuring that Phillips Field remains a community asset now and going forward,” said Celimene Pastor, secretary of the nonprofit Marin City Sausalito Football Club. “We will do everything we can to help with the campaign and to make sure this bond passes.”

The Marin City youth soccer club is one of several groups that expressed strong interest in using Phillips Field at a public meeting last fall. Also interested was Play Marin, a youth athletic nonprofit in Marin City.

Larry Tramutola, the district’s tax consultant, said district officials were originally planning for a $10 million bond measure, but they decided to increase the amount to $12.5 million to cover any unforeseen expenses, such as possible “water issues underground” or other complications.

“It’s best to have a little bit more, just in case,” Tramutola said. “We don’t know what things will ultimately cost.”

Trustee Bonnie Hough said if there is any money left over after the field is restored it could be designated for maintenance.

“This is a big opportunity to serve young people,” youth athletic booster George Pegelow said. “They have been waiting a long time to play on a quality field in their own neighborhood.”

The board also unanimously approved a $30,000, six-month contract for Tramutola, retroactive to Jan. 1. The East Bay consultant previously helped the district pass its first parcel tax in 2024.

The bond campaign committee, which has already been formed, “needs to step up and be very transparent with the community about the lack of public parks and sports fields in that area,” Tramutola told the trustees.

He said extensive community engagement needs to happen over the next few months before ballots are mailed out in May.

“I think this was the right time to do this,” Tramutola said. “November will be a crowded ballot.”