Updated April 7, 1:40 p.m.–
Sentinel staff report– Citrus Heights council members on Thursday will consider whether to give their approval to a proposed countywide ballot measure that seeks to raise $8.38 billion over the next 40 years through a half-percent sales tax increase.
The proposal was tentatively approved on March 18 by the Sacramento Transportation Authority, but in order to be placed on the November ballot the proposal must also be approved by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors and the majority of city councils in the county.
Under the proposed transportation spending plan, roughly 40% of the funds generated from the sales tax would go towards public transit and 60% would go towards roads and highways.
According to a city staff report, Citrus Heights would receive an estimated $193 million in direct allocations over the next four decades, which equates to about $4.8 million per year from 2021 through 2061.
A significant amount of funding would be allocated to go towards “Fix It First” street maintenance and rehabilitation to bring residential streets up to a minimum acceptable rating. Funds would also go towards a number of complete streets projects in the city, including:
- Auburn Blvd Phase II (Rusch Park – I-80)
- Auburn Blvd Phase III (Sylvan Corners – Greenback Lane)
- Auburn Blvd Phase IV (Greenback Lane – Manzanita Avenue)
- Antelope Road (Auburn Blvd – Old Auburn Road)
- Dewey Drive (Greenback Lane – Connemara Circle)
- Fair Oaks Blvd (Oak Avenue – Madison Avenue)
- Greenback Lane (Sunrise Blvd – Fair Oaks Blvd)
- Oak Avenue (Sunrise Blvd – Wachtel Way)
- Old Auburn Road (Sylvan Corners – Roseville City Limit)
- Roseville Road (Butternut Drive – City Limit)
- San Juan Avenue (Madison Avenue – Sylvan Road)
- Sunrise Blvd (Sayonara Drive – North City Limit)
- Sylvan Road (San Juan Avenue – Sylvan Corners)
- Wachtel Way (Oak Avenue – Auburn Road)
- Van Maren Lane (Greenback Lane – Garden Gate Drive)
Other projects listed in the plan for Citrus Heights include improvements to the Antelope Road/I-80 interchange for congestion relief, ADA upgrades, and bicycle/pedestrian use. The plan also calls for a “BRT to Citrus Heights,” referring to a Bus Rapid Transit project, which typically involves converting an existing lane of traffic into a bus-only lane.
See the 27-page draft spending proposal: click here
The proposal will likely result in a split vote by Citrus Heights council members. Vice Mayor Steve Miller already cast a “no” vote on the proposal during last month’s STA meeting, and Councilman Bret Daniels openly opposed a similar transportation tax measure that voters narrowly denied in 2016, Measure B.
Residents interested in contacting their city council members prior to the vote can find contact information on the city’s website. The entire council can also be emailed together at citycouncil@citrusheights.net.
The City Council will meet at 7 p.m. on April 9, with the meeting closed to the public due to coronavirus mitigation protocols. The meeting will be live-streamed online at metro14live.saccounty.net.
Public comment can be submitted in advance to cityclerk@citrusheights.net. According to a statement in the council’s agenda packet, comments of up to 250 words in length will be read out loud during the meeting.
Want to share your thoughts on the transportation tax proposal? Click here to submit a letter to the editor.
