Tweak to Sonoma County road tax plan causes uproar

A sales tax measure on the June ballot that Sonoma County officials say they intend to use for much-needed road repairs now includes language designating public safety among other spending priorities.

Road repair advocates and county officials say the new language, added to the tax measure this week, will not divert future revenue from fixing crumbling county roads - consistently ranked among the worst in the Bay Area - and city streets. Tax watchdogs, however, have voiced concerns that the money could be spent on the Sheriff’s Office, for example, or to pay down county pension liabilities.

The move, made with little discussion at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, reflects the delicate political balancing required to pass a general sales tax measure - making it appeal to a majority of voters while at the same time signaling where the revenue may be spent.

Susan Gorin, chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors, said the county still intends to use the money for road repairs. The “public safety” addition to the measure refers to enhancing streets with safety features like lighting, sidewalks and crosswalks, she said. Better roads means first responders can reach emergencies faster, she said.

“The money is going to be spent on roads,” she said. “Fire and law enforcement are dependent on roads for emergency response. Improving roads will improve public safety.”

But critics aren’t convinced and said the new language seemed to shift the purpose of the tax measure in a fundamental way, opening up the coffers to a number of different government expenses.

“How did public safety get into this? Does that just give you the right to direct some if it to the sheriff’s department?” Michael Hilber, a Santa Rosa resident and frequent opponent of tax measures, said at Tuesday’s meeting. “It’s going off the rails here. It’s not a roads tax. It’s public safety and other essential services, which means it can be used for whatever you please ... It’s also, I suspect, going to help your pension deficit problem.”

As originally proposed, the measure was meant to supplement gas tax revenue, which serves as the main source of funding for road repair but has been flat for years. The five-year tax would raise $20 million in the first year, with revenue estimated to grow by 3 percent annually.

County officials last year decided to introduce the measure as a general tax, meaning it would require a simple majority to pass and the funds could be spent on any government business. A specific tax earmarked for roads would require approval of two-thirds of voters, a threshold officials said would be difficult to reach.

With the added language, the measure on the June 2 ballot now asks voters to approve a quarter-cent sales tax to be spent on “general governmental purposes such as public safety, local roads and pothole repair, senior, student and veterans transit and other essential services ...” The measure would include annual audits.

The county and the nine cities would divide the proceeds based on population and road miles, and each jurisdiction would decide how to spend its portion of the funds. The county and Santa Rosa intend to spend 10 percent on public transit passes. The Sonoma County Transportation Authority, which oversees other tax measure funds for transportation, would likely oversee the new tax revenue if it is approved.

Advocates for more road spending, who have been vocal in lobbying supervisors for a solution to fix the 1,382-mile county network, still support the sales tax measure. They say they have been assured that the money will be spent on roads and that adding the new language will help pass the measure.

“They have to dance this dance in a very specific way,” said Craig Harrison, co-founder of Save Our Sonoma Roads. “The politicians seem to think this is going to help. I’m confident this will still be spent on roads. If they fool us, they will never fool us again.”

Harrison echoed what Gorin said about the addition of “public safety” to the measure, saying that he understood it to mean improving roads to enhance safety.

The Sonoma County Taxpayers’ Association, a tax watchdog group, has yet to take a position on the measure. Dan Drummond, the executive director, said if the sales tax was merely intended to replace the lost gas tax revenue, the organization could support the measure.

“Now, that’s clearly not the case,” he said. “We’re going to have to revisit this issue. What this is telling us is public employees can expect to recoup some money. Police and fire unions are two of the most influential forces in the county.”

Gorin acknowledged that county officials have had discussions with public safety union leaders about the sales tax measure, but have made no promises that the county would use the money to boost their budgets.

Tim Hannan, president of the county Taxpayers Association, said the new language in the sales tax measure is unclear.

“What bothers me is the vagueness of it,” he said. “What does ‘public safety’ mean? I’m afraid the supervisors are acting indecisively here.”

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Brown at 521-5206 or matt.brown@pressdemo crat.com. On Twitter @MattBrownPD.