Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln half-cent sales tax moves closer to November ballot

The citizens of Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln are one step closer toward potentially deciding upon a half-cent sales tax to improve transportation in south Placer County in November. The Placer County Transportation Planning Agency Board of Directors voted unanimously May 22 to request the Placer County Board of Supervisors to call an election to obtain approval of a sales tax measure to address the transportation needs of southern Placer County. This spring, PCTPA Executive Director Matt Click has been educating local jurisdictions about the measure and the agency's expenditure plan, garnering area-wide support for the issue. Click said he was able to gain the support of all six municipalities, the county and 31 of 34 elected officials. The half-cent sales tax measure would go before Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln voters and provide Placer County with $1.58 billion over 30 years. Any revenue generated from the sales tax must be spent on transportation within Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln and used to supplement existing transportation revenues, and can't be taken by the state. The expenditure plan states $825 million (52 percent) would be used on the Major Highways and Roads Program, which would improve the Interstate 80 and SR 65 interchange, I-80 and Rocklin Road interchange, Baseline Road, SR 65 interchanges and Placer Parkway; $394 million (25 percent) would go toward the Local Transportation Program; $187 million (12 percent) would go toward the Rail and Transit Program, which includes senior/disabled transit, Capitol Corridor transit and commuter/express bus transit; $75 million (5 percent) would go toward the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program; and another $75 million (5 percent) would go toward competitive projects. At the May 22 PCTPA meeting, board members reviewed the ballot language and heard from a polling consultant about the likelihood of the measure passing. The measure would need two-thirds voter approval. "There is a broadly held perception that traffic is going to be worse in the future," said Curtis Below of FM3 Research. "That rationale can be very motivating." Below brought up the 2016 Measure M, another half-cent sales tax measure to improve roadways in Placer County, and said that according to polling, voters are more supportive now than they were in 2016. The 2016 measure failed, receiving 64 percent approval - 3 percent shy of the two-thirds it needed to pass. "This is a better spot than where Measure M was, but you still have your work cut out for you," he said. According to polling of South Placer likely voters, the county has the needed two-thirds support. "We are in a far better place, but it's not going to be a landslide," said Cherri Spriggs of Meraki Public Affairs, a consultant for PCTPA. "Everyone needs to be on the same page with this and continuing to educate. There really is no alternative to this. The state hasn't come and saved us. This transportation piece is critical." Click said PCTPA will continue its education campaign through the month of June, educating groups in the areas of the measure's expenditure plans and how it addresses the transportation needs of south Placer County. "Our ability to move in and around in our communities is challenged and it is only going to get worse. The data shows that, and we have seen that," PCTPA Board Chair Ken Broadway said. "Transit will not fix this, it will not, it will take a combination of solutions. I do believe we should provide the voters with the opportunity to decide what types of solutions are going to be appropriate to address our needs to keep Placer moving." The Placer County Board of Supervisors will consider placing the item on the November ballot at its June 11 meeting.