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Council introduces 0.5% special sales‑tax ordinance for streets and narrows allowable uses
Summary
Council introduced a draft ordinance to place a 0.5% special sales tax on the June 2 ballot restricted to street repair and maintenance, with a 15‑year sunset; council added edits to prohibit funding new road construction and standalone storm‑drain or sidewalk projects unless directly tied to street repair, and the introduction vote passed 4–1.
The council introduced an ordinance on Jan. 20 to place a half‑cent special sales tax for road and street repair on the June 2, 2026 ballot. The draft ordinance, prepared by the city attorney with public‑works and finance staff, restricts revenues to street repair and maintenance, disallows use for staff salaries or general overhead, includes a 15‑year sunset and allows the council to match state or federal grants for street projects.
City attorney explained council action tonight is to introduce the ordinance; final authorization to place the measure on the ballot requires a second vote on Feb. 3 and a 4‑of‑5 council majority. The staff estimate in the draft ordinance forecasts about $3.75 million per year in revenues if the tax is approved, and estimated election costs of roughly $60,000 to place the measure on the June ballot.
Council members debated several technical edits. Council member Vega and others pressed to prohibit the tax from funding standalone storm‑drain projects or new road construction and to limit use of city staff labor to direct maintenance of existing roadways. Public works director Craig Dierling explained some sidewalk, curb‑ramp and drainage work is legally required when resurfacing streets and recommended language tying those expenditures to an associated street repair project. The council added edits to the ordinance language to specify that such activities must be “directly related to street, road, alley, or sidewalk maintenance, repair, or reconstruction projects funded by these tax funds,” and to add a clause preventing funds from being used for new road construction.
After staff incorporated those edits and council affirmed that the council itself will serve as the oversight committee (with the city manager required to report annually), a motion to introduce the ordinance passed on a 4–1 vote. Council member Vega said he would not support the measure in its previous form but concurred with the edited language that narrows permitted uses. The council removed a staff‑proposed clause that would allow the council to reduce the rate without returning to voters.
Council directed staff to return with a final ordinance and related resolutions at the Feb. 3 meeting for the required second vote to place the measure on the June ballot.
