Guest Opinion: What Citrus Heights voters should know about this new tax measure

By Sue Frost–
In the general election this November, voters will have the opportunity to vote on “Measure A,” a transportation sales tax that would impact not just the unincorporated areas of County of Sacramento, but the seven cities as well.

The measure is on the ballot due to a citizen signature gathering effort, and in order to pass, it needs at least 50% of residents to vote in support of it.  As the text of this measure is dozens of pages long, I wanted to use this opportunity to explain to you what this measure would actually do if it is passed in an easily understandable fashion.

First, let’s go over the basics of what this measure would require of taxpayers.  This tax would last until 2063 (40 years), and would be a half-cent sales tax, raising around $212,500,000 annually.  This tax is in addition to the existing half-cent transportation sales tax adopted in 2004, which is set to expire in 2039.  The tax would not just be for Sacramento County residents, but for any person who happens to be in Sacramento County while buying something.

Now let’s go over where the money will be spent:

• 47.25% of the money will go to local street and road repair. This includes, among some other things, pavement maintenance, new/expanded streets, programs to promote walking/bicycling, and freeway interchanges.  For the first five years, no less than 90% of this chunk of the money must be spent on “Fix it First” street, road, and bridge preventative maintenance.
• 25.11% of the money will go to Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) to be used for, among other things, light rail and bus vehicle replacement, operations and maintenance of existing services, and operations and maintenance for new services partially funded through this plan.
• 22.43% of the money will go to construction of highway, transit, rail, increased bus and light rail service, and expressway expansion and widening projects.
• 3.05% of the money will go to senior and disabled transportation services.
• 2.16% of the money will go to the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District to provide for monitoring, planning, emission reduction, and future mobility programs.

Finally, let’s go over specific projects in Citrus Heights where money will be spent:

• Complete rehabilitation of Madison Avenue, between Watt and Sunrise.
• Improvements to Madison Avenue between Watt Avenue and Greenback Lane.
• Road capacity expansion of Madison Avenue between Sunrise Boulevard and Greenback Lane.
• Complete street improvements to parts of Auburn Boulevard, Antelope Road, Dewey, Fair Oaks Boulevard, Greenback, Oak Avenue, Old Auburn Road, Roseville Road, San Juan Avenue, Sunrise Boulevard, Sylvan Road, Wachtel Way, and Van Maren Lane.
• Antelope Road/I-80 interchange improvements.
• Auburn Blvd Phase II between Rusch Park and I-80.
• Madison Avenue corridor between Fair Oaks Boulevard and San Juan Avenue.

This is just a snapshot of the much larger picture, but I hope this has been helpful in helping you understand what you are voting on.  If you want to read the plan in its entirety, please feel free to e-mail my office and we can send it to you.

Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost formerly served as a Citrus Heights councilwoman and currently represents District 4, which includes Citrus Heights.  She can be contacted at (916) 874-5491, or SupervisorFrost@saccounty.net.

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