Atascadero council adopts SLOCOG's final transportation-expenditure plan for a possible half-cent sales tax
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Summary
Council voted 4-1 to approve SLOCOG's final transportation-expenditure plan, which would route about $2.0 million a year to Atascadero for local road and safety work and make the city eligible to compete for North County regional corridor funds if voters approve a proposed half-cent countywide sales tax.
The Atascadero City Council voted 4-1 to adopt a resolution approving the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments' (SLOCOG) final transportation-expenditure plan for a potential countywide half-cent sales tax, which SLOCOG staff estimated would generate about $35 million a year countywide if placed on the November 2026 ballot and approved by voters.
SLOCOG's Annie Balski told the council the proposed plan divides revenue into 55% for local road and safety improvements distributed to jurisdictions (about $2.0 million a year for Atascadero under current estimates), 40% for regional corridor projects (nearly $4.9 million a year to North County) and the remainder for mobility and administration. She also described reporting, oversight and a recommended citizens' oversight committee to track expenditures.
The council's deliberation centered on how regional projects would be prioritized and the ability of smaller jurisdictions to compete for regional corridor dollars versus larger capital projects in Paso Robles or elsewhere. Council member Peake voted no, saying he opposed adding new taxes in the current fiscal climate; four other members supported forwarding the approved SLOCOG expenditure plan.
SLOCOG staff and several council members emphasized that local allocations would be under Atascadero's control and that local funds could be aggregated and leveraged to pursue state and federal matching grants for larger projects. SLOCOG staff also noted policies permitting extensions for multiyear regional projects when jurisdictions demonstrate active progress.
The vote sends the final SLOCOG expenditure plan to the SLOCOG board on April 1 and then on to the County Board of Supervisors for consideration of ballot placement; SLOCOG staff said a board vote is a required step in the process. The council did not obligate city funds; it approved the city's support for the countywide plan and oversight approach so voters, not the council, can decide whether to approve the tax.
