Sonoma County supervisors faced with spending decisions after tax measure’s defeat
The overwhelming defeat last week of Measure A - the proposed quarter-cent sales tax increase that Sonoma County officials touted as the best shot at repairing the beleaguered local road system - has put county supervisors on a collision course over government spending, with some pushing for more money to fund basic infrastructure while others jockey for increased investment in health and human services.
Supervisor David Rabbitt, the strongest proponent of the tax measure, which could have nearly doubled the county’s ?$10 million annual general fund contribution for road repair, says the Board of Supervisors needs to recalibrate its spending priorities and bolster the amount of discretionary dollars it spends on roads.
That stance, however, puts Rabbitt at odds with several other supervisors, who argue that they’ve already earmarked a hefty chunk of money for roads. Other policy initiatives, including funding universal preschool, building affordable housing and raising wages for county contractors and affiliated workers to $15 per hour are equally critical, those supervisors contend.
“Investing in programs that benefit the lives of children and working families is important to this board, so there is going to be some impact on the general fund … but we think it’s important that everyone has access to food and shelter,” said Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Susan Gorin, a strong voice for safety-net spending.
With millions of taxpayer dollars in play across a broad range of county services and programs, deliberations on county spending are set to take center stage next week as the Board of Supervisors begins its hearings to approve a budget for the next two years.
The proposed $1.43 billion budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year calls for $423 million in spending from the general fund, the main source of discretionary dollars, supporting mostly public safety and administrative departments as well as other initiatives and programs backed by the Board of Supervisors. County officials were hoping, through the money that would have been generated by Measure A, that they would not have to dip deeper into that pot to pay for overhaul of the 1,384-mile county road system, long ranked as one of the worst in the Bay Area.
But voters, in rejecting the measure by a margin of 63 percent to 37 percent, sent a strong message about tax-driven policymaking that is likely to complicate county spending decisions in the days and months ahead.
Rabbitt, who served as the county face of the sales tax initiative, said he plans to lobby for increased discretionary dollars to be allocated for roads, beyond the ?$10 million now coming from the general fund. Bringing the county network back up to good condition could cost an estimated $954 million over 20 years, according to transportation officials.
“We’ve paved more roads in the last two years than any time in the past, and I’m proud of that historic investment we’re making in our road infrastructure,” he said. “With Measure A gone, we need to look for ways of boosting it. … Things like preschool and housing are important investments, but the question is whether it’s our responsibility, or the state and federal government’s.”
The debate about how to spend taxpayer money is part pragmatic, part ideological. On one hand, it comes down to maintaining core functions of government - public safety, street maintenance, sanitation and water service. On the other, it’s about how government spending can help improve the lives of Sonoma County residents, including the low-income and disadvantaged. With Measure A’s loss, the differences among supervisors in that spending debate are set to be cast into greater relief as they decide on a long list of other services and initiatives competing for county dollars.
In addition to preschool, housing and living wage proposals, that list includes: an expanded effort to address homelessness; a potential funding boost for county fire services; advance payments to reduce the county’s long-term pension obligations; and spending to support a new independent auditor’s office to oversee county law enforcement - a recommendation advanced by a citizen taskforce formed after a sheriff’s deputy shot and killed 13-year-old Andy Lopez in 2013.
All five supervisors have voted to make road funding a priority. But Shirlee Zane, Efren Carrillo and Gorin have signaled they wouldn’t halt other initiatives to step up funding to fix roads.
“We always have to ask hard questions about our priorities, but we’ve spent $40.8 million on roads from our general fund over four years,” Zane said. “I believe our No. 1 priority has to be helping the eroding middle class - I’m very concerned we’ve become a county made for tourists and the rich. We have to do more to take care of our most vulnerable populations.”
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