The Council of San Benito County Governments Board of Directors voted unanimously Feb. 18 to introduce a half-cent tax increase that would fund local transportation needs. If approved by the Board of Supervisors, the ballot measure would be placed before voters on June 7. The COG Board has recognized that existing state and local funding sources do not generate enough money for San Benito County to complete critical transportation projects to benefit the residents of San Benito County.
The ordinance provides for the imposition of a half-cent sales tax for specific transportation projects and programs identified in the included expenditure plan. The tax would be in place for 30 years and would raise approximately $240 million in revenues in that time period. A two-thirds majority of voters in San Benito County must approve the tax measure for it to pass.
The expenditure plan, titled the Transportation Safety and Investment Plan, identifies how funding will be divided among projects. Overall, 50 percent of collected revenues would fund improvements to safety and traffic flow on Highway 25 between Hollister and Santa Clara County. Twenty percent of the revenues will go toward local road improvements throughout the county. The remaining 30 percent of revenues will be distributed to the local jurisdictions (City of Hollister, City of San Juan Bautista, and San Benito County) for local road repair and maintenance. The funds will be distributed by an approved formula as identified in the ordinance.
The ordinance as introduced includes provisions that allow for the Council of Governments to bond against the revenue funds as allowed by law to expedite project delivery. In addition, the ordinance includes oversight provisions, including a requirement for annual independent audits and the establishment of a Citizens Oversight Committee that will be responsible for advising the COG Board, making recommendations regarding annual expenditure priorities, and reviewing expenditures annually to ensure they conform to what is set forth in the expenditure plan.Â
The full text of the ordinance and expenditure plan can be found online at www.sanbenitocog.org. COG is the Regional Transportation Planning Agency for San Benito County and the Board of Directors is made up of representatives from the City of Hollister City Council, City of San Juan Bautista City Council, and San Benito County Board of Supervisors.
Contact: Mary Gilbert, Executive Director (831) 637-7665 ext. 207 or mary@sanbenitocog.org