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Supervisors say county needs long-term road funding but differ on timing
Summary
Supervisors at the Aug. 5 special meeting acknowledged significant storm-related road damage and urged future strategies for sustainable funding; remarks highlighted a roughly $70 million storm damage estimate and prior budget reductions but stopped short of adopting a new revenue measure.
Board members used deliberations surrounding the Measure H withdrawal to discuss the county's long-term road needs and options for securing matching funds. Supervisors agreed roads are a priority but differed on whether the November ballot was the right next step.
Supervisor Perchon said sales taxes "disproportionately hurt people in the lower income brackets" and suggested the board consider returning roads to the county's priority list rather than immediately pursuing a countywide sales-tax measure. Supervisor Ortiz Lake noted that other counties obtain matching funds through a local 0.5¢ sales tax and said, "we continue to be a loser county, losing millions in dollars in matching" without a self-help measure. The Chair emphasized recent storm-related damage and fiscal adjustments, stating the county recorded about "$70,000,000 worth of damage to our roads and infrastructure" from 2023 storms and that the county removed 155 full‑time equivalent positions and cut $35,000,000 from the budget in the previous fiscal cycle.
The board did not adopt a new funding measure at the meeting; members said they intend to continue conversations about priorities and whether to pursue a revised measure in a future election cycle.
