Campaign for Measure B, transportation sales tax rolled out

September 01, 2004
Santa Paula News

Supporters of a proposed Ventura County half-cent sales tax increase to finance transportation projects – from upgrading highways and roads to broadening alternatives – drew almost 100 supporters last week to Wedgewood Banquet Center in Ventura.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesSupporters of a proposed Ventura County half-cent sales tax increase to finance transportation projects – from upgrading highways and roads to broadening alternatives – drew almost 100 supporters last week to Wedgewood Banquet Center in Ventura.Measure B – with the slogan “B for a Better Ventura County” - would raise $50 million a year over 30 years with funds split between freeway improvements (40 percent), local roads (40 percent split among the county and 10 cities) and public transit (20 percent). A designated tax, the measure would have to garner a two-thirds voter approval to pass in the Nov. 2 Presidential Election.“We’re incredibly blessed to have a diverse group of people,” not only supporting but also working to pass the measure, said Bill Buratto, president and CEO of the Ventura County Economic Development Association.The chairman of the campaign, Keith Millhouse, a Moorpark councilman who also sits on the Ventura County Transportation Commission, “understands and has lived the issues,” driving the measure, Buratto noted.“I’m very passionate about this cause and frustrated,” at slowing traffic flows, limited public transit and needed bike trails, said Millhouse. “Measure B provides the funds to tackle the problems we have which is a quality of life issue.”Businesses as well as residents also suffer from traffic impacts often linked to high housing prices and workers living farther away from job sites and the “measure was designed with people in mind…”
Measure B has built-in protections, said Millhouse: all funds must be spent locally and must be used for transportation services and projects. Administration costs are capped at 1 percent and since the Ventura County Transportation Commission – the VCTC Executive Director is Ginger Gherardi of Santa Paula - is being enlarged to include representatives from every city, each municipality will also have oversight of their pre-determined share of revenues.Although there has been concerns that improved roads could mean more residents, Millhouse noted the county’s SOAR land-use protections and the environmental advantages of less clogged streets and highways.The measure has been endorsed by the Automobile Club of America, said an AAA official who attended the event and noted that miles driven has increased by 185 percent while California roadways have only grown by 30 percent.State road funding has hit a roadblock and relief cannot be expected from Sacramento for perhaps decades, said Millhouse.When asked about oversight of the measure’s revenues, he noted that Gherardi is the “most spendthrift transportation director in the United States…and, the measure will also have yearly independent audits.”Perhaps one of the most voter friendly aspects of the measure is the built-in sunset clause that shuts off the program – and the added 1/2 cent sales tax if attempts are made to spend the money on projects other than transportation: “The measure dies,” noted Millhouse.Ventura County is the only county in Southern California without a transportation tax.



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