150 likes | 261 Views
Local Transportation Authority Update on Measure D Renewal. Summer 2008. What is Measure D?.
E N D
Local Transportation AuthorityUpdate on Measure D Renewal Summer 2008
What is Measure D? • Measure D is our local, ½-cent sales tax transportation Measure. 95% of the funds from Measure D go directly to the cities and county to pay for critical road repair projects. The other 5% is set aside for regional projects. • For most of our cities, Measure D has been responsible for the majority of street and road repairs. • Measure D was enacted by residents in 1989, and is set to expire in 2010 if we do not authorize its renewal at NO INCREASE to the current tax rate.
Measure D through the years • Currently, Measure D provides nearly all of the funds for street and road maintenance to our cities, it has also helped Imperial County secure millions in state matching funds over the years. • By making Imperial County a ‘self-help’ County, Measure D put Imperial County at the front of the line for state dollars, without which, we could not have built the Brawley Bypass among other projects.
Self-Help Counties Only 19-counties state-wide are self-help counties, which enable local jurisdictions to use revenue as matching funds to secure more state and federal grants for transportation improvements.
What happens without Measure D? • Currently, Imperial County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state. The population is expected to increase by over 70% in the next 20 years. • Even with Measure D, hundreds of miles of our streets and roads are in poor condition and badly deteriorating. • If we don’t extend Measure D, traffic will continue to get worse, the local economy will suffer, and our roads will become unsafe and dangerous.
What will a Measure D renewal do? Renewing Measure D will help local cities and the county: • Expand Dial-a-Ride services for elderly/disabled • Repave and maintain aging local city streets • Repair countywide streets and roads • Synchronize traffic signals for traffic flow • Add traffic signals and stop signs for pedestrian safety
What will a Measure D renewal do cont.? • Renewing Measure D will ensure that our Valley continues to qualify for state and federal Matching Funds, which can run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. • It will also make sure that everyone pays their fair share to repair our roads; including winter visitors, visitors to the sand dunes, tourists, and shoppers from Mexico, rather than just property owners and residents
Added Fiscal Accountability The Measure D renewal resolution has added fiscal safeguards: • Placement of funds in a Restricted Trust Fund to ensure that the money can only be used as promised to the community • The creation of a Local Taxpayer Supervising Committee to monitor how funds are spent • Independent Financial Audits • Requirement that all transportation projects be completed at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers • No more than 1% of funds to be spent on administration
What can you do? • Do you belong to other organizations that need this information? Let us know! • Tell your friends and neighbors what you’ve heard. • Volunteer to keep informed and help in the future.