Campaign chest swells for supporters of Sonoma County roads tax

A ballot-box fight for Measure A - the five-year quarter-cent sales tax increase that will be decided June 2 - is growing more heated as Election Day nears, with thousands of dollars pouring into the campaign in support of the measure by the day.

Seasoned political activists representing high-powered business, environmental and labor groups have amassed more than $170,000 in campaign donations since January, with Measure A opponents vying to defeat the measure largely through word-of-mouth.

The campaign in support of Measure A includes building and construction trades groups, roads advocates and the county’s largest environmental and business organizations. Most of the county’s voters have already received their mail-in ballots, but supporters are continuing to raise money for campaign fliers and knock on doors in hopes of convincing undecided voters to approve the sales tax increase.

“We’re not slowing down,” said Craig Harrison, a founder of SOS Roads and a campaign spokesman. “We’re going strong to try to get our message out there - we still have some time.”

Campaign donors to date include the Santa Rosa asphalt manufacturer BoDean Co., which has given $25,000, and the Dutra Materials asphalt plant outside Petaluma, which donated $10,000 last week, campaign finance records show. Construction giant Ghilotti Construction Company has given $26,000, and the trade union Operating Engineers Local 3 has given $10,000 through its political action committee.

Chris Snyder, assistant political director for the union, said they are giving money in hopes the measure will pass.

“This is good for the community and for the economy,” Snyder said. “It’s going to put a lot of our members to work, and our apprentices will also be able to get out there and work on our roads.”

Opponents of the measure, including the county’s leading taxpayer watchdog groups, have not raised any money, but officials with the Sonoma County Republican Party - which jumped into the political battle in May - said they are doing some private fundraising in hopes of convincing voters to vote against the measure.

“We’re hearing that a lot of people don’t trust supervisors, or that they’ll spend the money for roads,” said Edelweiss Geary, a spokeswoman for the organization. “The money goes right into the general fund, and that doesn’t guarantee that the money will be designated for road repair.”

Measure A, which needs a simple majority to pass, would generate $20 million in the first year, with annual revenues expected to rise by 3 percent thereafter. The proceeds would be split, with 44 percent - or about $8.7 million - going to the county, and the remainder divided among the nine cities, based on population and road miles. Though the tax would designate revenue for general government purposes, county supervisors and some city representatives said they intend to use the money for road repairs, with some jurisdictions backing use of a smaller portion of the proceeds to fund public transit programs.

If approved, the sales tax rate for unincorporated Sonoma County, Cloverdale, Petaluma and Windsor would jump to 8.5 percent. Healdsburg, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa and Sonoma would see their sales tax rates rise to 9 percent. Sebastopol sales taxes would be 9.25 percent, and Cotati would have the highest rate, at 9.5 percent.

You can reach Staff Writer Angela Hart at 526-8503 or angela.hart@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@ahartreports.