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Humboldt County officials ask local board to back 1‑cent sales tax to shore up roads and transit
Summary
County public‑works leaders told the McKinleyville CSD on Oct. 7 they are asking voters to approve a 1‑cent general sales tax on the Nov. 5 ballot to raise roughly $24–25 million a year for roads and bus services, citing repeated storm damage, a declining pavement condition index and long delays in federal reimbursements.
Humboldt County public‑works and administrative officials presented to the McKinleyville Community Services District board on Oct. 7, urging support for a 1‑cent general sales tax measure on the Nov. 5 ballot to fund roads and bus services.
Tom Matson, Humboldt County director of public works, told directors the county has lost more than $500 million in local revenues to state reallocations over the past three decades and that ‘‘we are in a new era of natural disasters’’ that is accelerating wear on county roads. He said repeated storm damage since 2017 has produced roughly $70 million in road repairs and driven the county’s pavement condition index to about 49 — a level consultants project would require hundreds of millions of dollars to restore to a target PCI of 70 over 10 years.
Matson outlined how emergency repair funding and reimbursements work: local emergencies may receive no outside aid, state declarations can reimburse a portion (Matson said roughly 75% in many cases) and federal declarations can increase reimbursement but typically require the county to front costs and wait years for repayment. That dynamic, he said, forces counties to choose between diverting maintenance funds to emergency repairs or seeking new, guaranteed local revenue.
‘‘Part of our solution to this problem is a local tax measure,’’ Matson said, noting the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in July to place a 1‑cent sales tax on the ballot for roads and transit. He and county staff said polling this summer showed likely voters list road repair, job creation and maintaining bus service among their top priorities.
Sean Quincy, deputy county administrative officer, said the measure is structured as a general tax to require only a 50%+1 vote for approval and to maximize the chance of passage. Quincy described proposed accountability steps: an oversight/allocation committee, annual work plans returned to the Board of Supervisors, and publicly noticed technical advisory committees (including transit experts) to review project recommendations. He said the county forecasts approximately $24–25 million annually in unincorporated areas if the measure passes.
Directors pressed county staff on allocation mechanics, whether the Humboldt Council of Governments (HCAOG) would control spending, and what share might go to transit. Staff said HCAOG would provide technical transit input but would not make allocation decisions; allocation percentages would be recommended by a public work group and set by the Board of Supervisors for multi‑year periods. Staff also warned that earmarking specific percentages in the ballot language would convert the measure into a ‘‘special tax’’ requiring a higher supermajority.
Quincy said the county plans public transparency and audit steps if voters approve the measure: an allocation committee, annual reports to the Board of Supervisors and citizen oversight to help ensure funds are used as described on the ballot.
Next steps: county staff presented materials and invited local boards and community members to discuss the measure in advance of the Nov. 5 election.
