Lake and Mendocino counties voters approve road taxes

Voters in Lake and Mendocino counties on Tuesday appear to have approved multiple sales tax increases aimed at improving deteriorating roads, according to preliminary results posted Wednesday. The number of absentee and provisional ballots that remain to be counted is not yet available.

For Clearlake, which has famously bad roads, it was the first successful road tax measure following at least five failed attempts in the last dozen years. Measure V received 67.3 percent of the vote. It needed 66.6 percent to win because it’s dedicated to a single use - road work.

Clearlake City Councilwoman Joyce Overton said it’s about time.

“That’s quite a few times,” she said of the earlier attempts.

Without decent roads, it’s tough for the city to attract new businesses and improve its ailing economy, Overton said. Almost half of the city’s 112 miles of roads are unpaved and many are impassable, with crater-sized potholes.

“I think this is the way we’re going to be able to change the outlook of Clearlake,” Overton said.

The 1 percent tax increases the city’s rate to ?9 percent and will raise an estimated $1.6 million annually for 20 years.

In Lakeport, voters approved a one percent sales tax by almost 62 percent of the vote. Because it is not tied to a specific use, the tax required just a simple majority vote. The tax will increase Lakeport’s rate to 9 percent and is expected to raise $1.5 million annually.

City officials say they plan to spend the money largely on roads and law enforcement, but they are not legally bound to do so. Similarly, Ukiah voters approved a general tax that officials promised will boost road repairs. Measure Y needed a simple majority of the vote and it received 52 percent. The measure increases Ukiah’s sales tax by a half-percent to 8.62 and is expected to raise an estimated $2.5 million annually for the general fund.

Voters in the two counties also approved several school bonds and several marijuana taxes. Voters in Fort Bragg and Point Arena additionally approved increases in the so-called bed tax charge to hotels and other short-term ?rentals.

Mendocino County voters rejected a half-percent sales tax increase that would have built new mental health and drug rehabilitation facilities.

Most of the measures that passed have sufficient leads that the results are unlikely to change when all the absentee ballots are counted.

The city council race in Willits is another matter. The vote counts for five people running for three seats are close. In one case, there is just a one vote difference between two of the candidates. Newcomer Saprina Rodriguez received 235 votes, narrowly beating out incumbent Madge Strong, with 234 votes, for third place.

“With only a one-vote lead, I am not making any assumptions about a win, nor am I celebrating,” said Rodriguez, an educator and business owner.

It also appeared on Wednesday that long-time Mayor Bruce Burton had been ousted. But again the race was close. He had just 10 fewer votes than Rodriguez. On the other hand, the top vote-getter, Willits police chief Gerry Gonzales, has a sufficient lead, with 269 votes, to likely maintain his win.