County to consider delaying roads tax measure

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider postponing for a second time a proposed quarter-cent sales tax measure to fund maintenance and repairs for the county’s 1,382-mile road network.

Supervisors could decide to delay the measure from a special election in March to a special election in June next year. The cost to the county would be the same, about $600,000.

The move appears to be an attempt to buy extra time and avoid a defeat at the ballot box.

Since the board decided in August to delay a November vote on the tax measure to March, county officials said they’ve learned that the current proposal faces what could amount to strong political headwinds.

“Public trust in government, to use new funds wisely, is low,” according to the county administrator’s staff report to the Board of Supervisors.

The sales tax measure would generate $20 million per for 20 years for county and city road repairs.

In addition to the ballot measure timing, supervisors are set to consider shortening the 20-year sales tax measure to five years.

The board’s discussion is set for the morning calendar Tuesday.

Check back in later today for more on this story.

You can reach Staff Writer Angela Hart at 526-8503 orangela.hart@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ahartreports.