The mayors of Hollister and San Juan Bautista, along with a member of the San Benito County Board of Supervisors authored the following endorsement of Measure P, the proposed half-cent sales tax that would raise money for local transportation projects:
On June 7, 2016 San Benito County voters will be voting on Measure P, a measure that seeks to provide funding to fill potholes, repair local streets and provide congestion relief and safety improvements on Highway 25. Measure P is a well-balanced transportation plan that has received broad community support from both the local Republican and Democratic parties, business leaders, labor groups, the agricultural community, bicycle and recreation advocates and neighborhood groups.
Measure P creates dedicated local funding that can only be used to repair our roads and protect vital transit services in San Benito County. All funds will be spent in our community; not a single penny can be taken or redirected by the State or Washington, D.C. Additionally, review by an independent Citizen’s Oversight Committee, and regular public audits, will ensure that all funds are spent as promised.
Measure P could qualify San Benito County for millions in state and federal matching funds that would otherwise be lost to other communities. Qualifying for state and federal matching funds is critical to undertaking large-scale transportation projects as Sacramento and Washington, D.C. are putting the onus on local governments to fund their own priority transportation projects.
Measure P, which needs two-thirds approval from area voters to pass, will allow each city and the county to fill potholes and repair local streets and roads. Measure P will also fund projects to reduce congestion on Highway 25 and other major roads like Fairview Road, Union Road and the West Gateway area of San Juan Road.
This important measure will protect vital public transit services focused on youth, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities, make road improvements focused on reducing speeding in neighborhoods and provide safer routes to schools for our local school children.
We support a source of funding that allows us to decide locally what transportation projects are our priorities and allows us to secure the matching funding necessary to get those projects completed. That’s local progress we should all support. That’s why we encourage a yes vote on Measure P.
To find out more about Measure P and its broad base of support in San Benito County, please visit RepairOurRoadsSanBenito.org.
Signed,
Hon. Jerry Muenzer, Board of Supervisors
Hon. Ignacio Velazquez, Mayor of Hollister
Hon. Rick Edge, Mayor of San Juan Bautista
