The West Contra Costa Unified School District board of education will hear a report Wednesday evening from a media firm on a campaign to increase property value assessments that were lowered during the real estate downturn.
The board meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Lovonya Dejean Middle School, 3400 Macdonald Ave., Richmond.
The communications consulting firm, Whitehurst/Moser, was hired in May to convince the Contra Costa County Assessor's Office to raise the assessments on properties that were de-valued recently. The firm has a 6-month contract with a $48,000 fee.
School officials say property values in the district declined 19 percent during a two-year period. The decrease caused a loss of general revenue and also a spike in categorized property taxes used in making payments on the district's bond measures.
The district has scheduled a public hearing on the issue for its next meeting on June 19.
Also on Wednesday night's agenda is a report on the district's proposed 2013-2014 budget. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for June 26.
The district will also recognize four employees as its Classified Employees of the Year.
They will also formally approve a three-year agreement with the United Teachers of Richmond that calls for an annual 2 percent pay increase. The salary hikes are expected to cost the district $6.3 million over the three years.
The board is also expected to approve the hiring of an energy conservation program manager to monitor the district's energy consumption and compile an energy efficiency program. The position costs $147,000 a year in salary and benefits.
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