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Commissioner Walton says she will withhold San Francisco contributions to Caltrain until governance changes are codified
Summary
Commissioner Walton told the Transportation Authority board she will not support San Francisco member contributions (citing a current request around $5 million) to Caltrain until the managing‑agency role of SamTrans, shared services, a salary ordinance and an audit are addressed in a six‑month work plan.
At the meeting’s new‑business item, Commissioner Walton called attention to long‑running governance issues at Caltrain’s Joint Powers Board, saying the existing managing‑agency role of SamTrans and the absence of an independent Caltrain counsel, a salary ordinance and a completed performance audit leave San Francisco without equitable decision‑making.
Walton said she has informed Caltrain and fellow JPB members that she will not support member contributions from San Francisco at this time — she referenced a current request of about $5,000,000 — until a six‑month program of work yields codified changes to governing agreements, a plan to end the managing‑agency arrangement, updates on the audit and a Caltrain salary ordinance.
Chair Melgar encouraged colleagues to speak with Walton for additional context. No formal board action on Caltrain funding or governance was taken at the meeting; Walton’s statement was presented as new business and recorded for the public record.
