SLOCOG presents draft countywide transportation expenditure plan; council gives feedback

Atascadero — Representatives from the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) presented a draft expenditure plan on Jan. 12 for a potential half‑cent countywide transportation sales tax measure that could appear on the November 2026 ballot if pursued.

Annie Bauski of SLOCOG said the draft plan, shaped by countywide outreach, proposes dedicating 55% of local proceeds to individual jurisdictions on a population basis (Atascadero estimate about $2 million per year), 40% for regional corridor and safety projects, roughly 4% for mobility needs (seniors and people with disabilities), and up to 1% for administrative costs and reporting. Staff emphasized safeguards including maintenance‑of‑effort, annual reporting, and opportunities to leverage local funds to win state and federal grants.

Council members expressed broad support for the local allocation approach but emphasized the need to limit new reporting burdens and to allow jurisdictions to self‑certify local spending where they already maintain oversight processes. Council asked for clearer definitions of ‘‘timely’’ spending for regional projects so large corridor projects can be accumulated and matched for grants. SLOCOG staff said the document is a working draft and will be refined based on local feedback.

Public commenters raised concerns about the length of time needed to deliver large projects, potential administrative overhead at SLOCOG, and the relative priorities of county decision‑makers. Council members reiterated the need to minimize staff time spent on additional reporting and to ensure the plan supports projects that are shovel‑ready or can be aggregated for competitive grant matches.

SLOCOG will return to local jurisdictions in February–March with updated materials and is scheduled to finalize the expenditure plan at its Feb. 4 board meeting.