Board hears DOT projects, considers 1¢ unincorporated sales tax to shore up county roads
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Summary
Transportation staff outlined the county’s 20‑year road preservation plan, bridge pipeline and funding gap; the department presented polling that suggests a 1¢ unincorporated sales tax could raise roughly $5.5M/year and restore key maintenance work and staff, with final recommendations due for board consideration in March.
Mendocino County’s transportation staff reviewed bridge replacements, corrective pavement plans and a roadmap for treating the remaining county road network, and presented polling results on a possible unincorporated‑area sales tax to fund roads.
DOT Director Howard DeShield summarized recent work including the North State Street/Ackerman Creek bridge replacement and a multi‑year corrective maintenance program that relies heavily on state and federal grants. The department said the county typically leverages roughly 80% of project costs from state and federal sources but lacks local general fund capacity to address the full backlog. Alicia Whittaker, deputy director of engineering, noted the county treats 15–25 miles a year with current resources; the 20‑year pavement plan would require substantially more funding to extend treatment to the remainder of the county road system.
Funding proposal: DeShield said a focused 1¢ sales tax applied only in unincorporated areas could generate an estimated $5.5 million annually, with the additional advantage of making the county eligible for certain state “self‑help” funds. The concept under consideration is an 18‑year special tax dedicated to county roads, with accountability measures and an annual audit. Polling conducted for the county showed strong support for “permanently fixing potholes” and prioritizing repairs of heavily traveled routes.
Board questions and concerns: Supervisors discussed equity across supervisorial districts, whether dollars should be distributed by need versus equal shares, and whether public trust is sufficient for a new tax while other fiscal issues remain unresolved. Several supervisors favored a focused, special‑purpose tax that includes a list of projects and reporting requirements to build voter confidence.
Next steps: Transportation staff will bring polling detail and proposed ballot language to the board in March and recommended additional targeted outreach. The board directed staff to return with a plan that describes project lists, timelines and options for how funds would be allocated across the county.