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City Manager Brian Cook urges 3/4-cent sales tax to fund Temple City road repairs
Summary
City Manager Brian Cook told a virtual town hall that Temple City’s expenditures outstrip revenues and rising public-safety and maintenance costs make it difficult to sustain road repairs. He proposed exploring a 3/4-cent sales tax that could raise about $2.5 million annually to repave residential streets every seven to 10 years.
City Manager Brian Cook told residents at a virtual forum that Temple City faces a narrowing budget gap driven by rising law-enforcement and maintenance costs, and he urged voters to consider a local sales tax to preserve services and fix neighborhood streets. "We need additional revenue in order to do those regular tuneups on a regular basis," Cook said during the presentation.
Cook said the city currently budgets about $26 million in annual expenditures against roughly $20 million in revenue and has relied on general fund reserves and one-time grants to pay for capital projects. The city is debt-free, he said, but five-year projections show minimal or no surpluses going forward, limiting the city’s ability to keep pavement in good condition.
Temple City is a contract city for public safety, Cook explained, paying the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for policing and the Los Angeles County Fire Department for fire and emergency medical services. He warned liability and insurance costs tied to the sheriff’s contract have risen sharply over the last decade: what was roughly 3% of contract cost 12–15 years ago is now about 12.5%, increasing operating pressure on the general fund.
On infrastructure Cook said the city has about 71 miles of roads and a recent independent assessment averaged out to a C rating: "some streets are in really good shape," he said, but many residential streets are graded D or F. He estimated the city would need roughly $25 million to $30 million over the next seven years to move the overall network toward a B rating and to sustain regular maintenance.
To address the gap, Cook proposed exploring a 3/4-cent local sales tax measure that would require voter approval. "If brought forward by the voter to the voters in early 2026, it would bring in about $2.5 million of revenue," he said. Cook said that revenue would be locally generated and constitutionally required to remain in Temple City; the money would be directed toward residential street repaving (paving every seven to 10 years) and ongoing maintenance rather than one-time capital uses.
Cook noted the city currently retains only a small portion of the sales tax paid in the city — about 1 percentage point of a 9.75% combined rate — and that county and regional measures can raise rates that do not return their full share to Temple City. He said the council will consider formally placing a measure on the ballot later this year, with a potential referral for voters in late November.
Cook also described how the city used American Rescue Plan funds (about $8 million) for one-time capital projects such as playgrounds, property acquisition for parks and a city‑hall roof and HVAC upgrades, emphasizing the council’s decision not to use those funds to cover ongoing operations.
A January poll conducted after regional wildfires, Cook said, showed majority resident support for a 3/4-cent increase; he said the council will continue public outreach and informational work prior to any formal referral.
The council had no formal vote during the presentation; Cook closed by inviting residents to ask questions and to participate in a follow-up survey and Q&A process. The council is expected to consider the measure referral at an upcoming meeting in late 2026.
