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Merced council votes to reprogram Measure V funds to accelerate Black Rascal Bridge project; Smith votes no
Summary
The Merced City Council voted to apply to the Merced County Association of Governments (MCAG) to reprogram Measure V regional funds and prioritize the Black Rascal Bridge project, reallocating $4 million and requesting an additional $4 million; Councilmember Smith cast the lone dissent, citing concerns about losing a $2 million state grant tied to a Highway 59 widening project.
The Merced City Council voted Oct. 20 to approve a resolution authorizing an application to the Merced County Association of Governments (MCAG) Measure V 2025 regional call for projects, prioritizing the Black Rascal Bridge project and reprogramming $4 million from the Highway 59 widening project while requesting an additional $4 million in construction funds.
City staff explained the reprogramming would allow work on the bridge to proceed sooner while staff and MCAG pursue additional funding to complete remaining project phases. Jeff Jordan, presenting for staff, said the city has three regional projects under Measure V regional allocation and that the transportation subcommittee recommended focusing on the bridge because of safety concerns at the site.
Council members debated tradeoffs. Councilmember Smith opposed shifting funds away from the Highway 59 widening project, warning it could forfeit a $2 million State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) grant that is not transferable to the bridge project. Smith said the council should leverage the existing $2 million to finish the widening project and accelerate grant writing for the bridge instead.
Supporters of the bridge argued the project is more likely to advance with the proposed reprogramming because the bridge scope is simpler, requires fewer right-of-way acquisitions and addresses an immediate safety bottleneck. Mayor Pro Tem Boyle and Mayor Matthew Serrato said they favored the bridge for those reasons. Councilmember DuPont and others said spending the Measure V dollars to move one regional project forward could help the city secure later funds for other priorities.
The motion to adopt resolution 2025-61 was made by Mayor Pro Tem Boyle and seconded by Councilmember Harris. The motion passed, with Councilmember Smith recorded as the sole no vote. The staff report and council discussion noted the $2 million SHOPP grant currently tied to the Highway 59 widening project could not be moved to the bridge; staff said they would continue working with Caltrans and MCAG to identify other uses or strategies for those funds.
What happens next: staff will submit the application to MCAG under the Measure V 2025 implementation plan call for projects and continue coordinating with Caltrans and MCAG on grant and funding options. The resolution adopted is listed in the staff report as Resolution 2025-61.
