County Republican Party supports Measure P, half-cent sales tax for roads

Hollister Mayor Ignacio Velasquez, speaking as a private citizen, was a guest speaker at the April 28 committee meeting of the San Benito Republican Party in order to ask for that group’s endorsement and support of Measure P, the proposed half-cent county sales tax that would provide funding to repair and maintain roads for the next 30 years.

According to Velasquez, the group had a lot of questions about Measure P and grilled him on the issues for more than an hour. The committee, chaired by Peter Hernandez, then voted whether to support Measure P and, if so, how much of a contribution would the San Benito Republicans make. 

The committee unanimously voted to support Measure P and the group, which typically opposes the raising of taxes as a party platform, made a $2,000 contribution to the Yes On P – Repair Our Roads campaign.

“The reason is simple,” said Velasquez, “our roads are in bad shape because we have kicked the can down the road by deferring maintenance” he said. “The City of Hollister hired a consultant this year to evaluate and provide a financial analysis bout the condition of the roads and determined that the City needs to spend $4 million annually on road maintenance. The problem is we collect only $800,000 in gas taxes which leaves a $3.2 million shortfall of necessary road maintenance expenditures just in the City of Hollister.”

Measure P, which needs two-thirds approval from area voters to pass, would allow each city and San Benito 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.

According to its website, “San Benito County needs safer roads and relief from traffic congestion. Recent reductions in state and federal funding for road repairs and transportation improvements have impacted the region significantly. Additional funding is necessary to address dire road conditions and make improvements to our public transportation system that suffered because of lack of funding. Measure P will keep residents, visitors and businesses moving wherever they want to go and however they choose to get there.”

“Measure P will make traveling and commuting safer and faster. Measure P will fix potholes, repair roads and support the services of San Benito Transit. New road connections at critical intersection and highway on/off ramps will be designed to improve traffic flow and safety and reduce wear and tear on vehicles. Measure P will make important improvements to sidewalks and bike lanes throughout the county, helping children and families to get to school and other destinations safely.” according to 

Measure P will appear on the June 7, 2016 ballot. All registered voters in San Benito County will be eligible to vote on Measure P. Absentee voters should expect to receive their ballot in the mail the week of May 9. The deadline to register to vote in this election is May 23.