Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Atascadero backs limited state waiver to preserve county transportation tax option
Summary
Council voted unanimously to support legislation asking Sen. Laird to carry a transportation-specific waiver allowing a half‑cent countywide sales tax outside the state local-add‑on cap, preserving a future SLOCOG funding option and not authorizing any tax itself.
The Atascadero City Council voted unanimously to support a narrowly scoped request from the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG): ask state lawmakers to create a transportation‑only pathway that would allow a future countywide sales tax measure (likely a half‑cent) to be treated outside the state’s current local-add‑on cap.
James Worthley, deputy director at SLOCOG, told the council the ask is procedural and would preserve SLOCOG’s ability to place a regionwide transportation sales tax measure before voters without being blocked if individual cities or other entities use up the remaining local-add‑on capacity first. “This item is on legislation…If state legislation is introduced and supported at the state, it will retain your future local funding options,” Worthley said.
Why it matters: Atascadero’s total sales tax rate already includes a 1.5 percent local add-on, giving the city an 8.75 percent combined rate. State law generally limits additional local add-ons, so if another jurisdiction or an initiative uses the remaining half‑cent of local capacity, SLOCOG could be precluded from presenting a countywide measure that would raise funds for highways, bikeways, safe routes to school and other regional transportation priorities.
Council action and limits Council members repeatedly emphasized two constraints: any waiver would be specific to transportation purposes and any new tax would still require voter approval (typically two‑thirds for special taxes). Council members also favored a modest approach — several speakers recommended restricting the waiver to a half‑cent rather than a full cent. The council ultimately voted unanimously to ask Sen. Laird to carry legislation that would allow a countywide, transportation‑specific half‑cent measure outside the local add‑on cap, and directed staff to communicate that support to SLOCOG.
What this vote does not do The council’s vote does not approve any tax measure or commit the city to a local tax; it only expresses support for state legislation to preserve the option for a future countywide transportation ballot measure.
Next steps SLOCOG will pursue legislation (Sen. Laird was cited as a likely carrier) and continue local polling and drafting. If legislation is filed and signed, any SLOCOG measure would still require local board approval and voter approval before funds could be collected.
