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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 04201993 - 1.48 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra ;..r `�► Costa FROM: •�•' Phil Batchelor, County Administrator County DATE: April 20, 1993 SUBJECT: Adopt a Position of Support for SB 1080 (Alquist) SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a position of support for SB 1080 (Alquist) which places a regional option gas tax for nine Bay Area counties on the November, 1994 ballot for transportation projects from the counties ' Congestion Management Plans and Regional Transportation Plan. BACKGROUND: SB 1080 would authorize a vote by the Bay Area electorate on whether to levy a 10 cent regional fuel tax to fund specified transportation improvements . The legislation would allow the Bay Area to make progress on two important congestion relief : strategies : . ( 1) implementing an integrated network of carpool, transit, and other alternatives to single occupant auto travel, and (2 ) instituting a series of market-based pricing incentives that encourage the use of those alternatives . SB 1080 is closely modelled after state law that allows counties to raise their sales taxes by one-half percent in order to implement a voter approved transportation expenditure plan. Like county sales ,tax programs, SB 1080 requires that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) develop a public transportation expenditure plan identifying projects, cost estimates and the amount of fuel tax revenue that would be expended, and submit this plan to the voters for approval . Projects are to be identified for the Expenditure Plan through a comprehensive planning process, which is the update of MIC' s Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) currently scheduled for adoption in the Spring of 1994 . SB 1080. further requires that projects included in the expenditure plan be con.sistent. with each county' s congestion management plan. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORA ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED Contact: Dean Lucas 646-4077 PHIL ATCHELOR.CLERK/OF THE BOARD OF cc: Community Development Department. SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Les Spahn BY �� .DEPUTY hill? MTC rr COM M�Ii610M ■! SB 1080 (Alquist) REGIONAL FUEL TAX FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA SS 1080 would authorize a vote by the Bay Area electorate on whether to levy a 10 cent regional fuel tax to fund specified transportation improvements. The legislation would allow the Bay Area to make progress an two important congestion relief strategies: (1) implementing an integrated network of carpool, transit, and other alternatives to single occupant auto travel, and (2) instituting a series of market-based pricing incentives that encourage the use of those alternatives. The following provides detailed information on SB 1080: Now will projects be selected and approved? 5B 1080 is closely modelled after state law that allows counties to raise their sales taxes by one-half percent in order to implement a voter approved transportation expenditure plan. Like county sales tax programs, SB 1080 requires that MTC develop a public transportation expenditure plan identifying projects, cost estimates and the amount of fuel tax revenue that would be expended, and submit this plan to the voters for approval. Projects are to be identified for the Expenditure Plan through a comprehensive planning process, which is the update of MTC's Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) currently scheduled for adoption in the Spring of 1994. SB 1080 further requires that projects included in the expenditure plan be consistent with each county's congestion management plan. Is there any indication that Bay Area voters would support such a tax? The Bay Area Council, a business-sponsored organization dedicated to regional issues, sponsored a Bay Area poll that tested voter acceptance of a regional fuel tax. The polling question asked citizens if they would be willing to pay up to 10 cents per gallon if the revenues were used to pay for various transit improvements such as new BART extensions and new light rail systems. The response showed that 67 percent of those polled would be in favor of paying up to 10 cent per gallon for improved transit service. When would the tax take affect? The proposal assumes that state legislation would authorize a regionwide vote by November 1994. Assuming majority approval by voters voting in the election, the tax could be imposed by January 1, 1995. Would operating and maintenance funding be included? Yes. The legislation requires that sufficient funding be included in the expenditure plan to operate and maintain each included project for the duration of the tax. JOSEPH P. BORT MEMOCEHTM • 101 EIGHTH STREU • OAKLAND,CA 94607-4700 510/464-7700 TDOMY 510/464-7769 FAX 510/464-7'848 S® 1080 Fact Sheet-Page 2 What kind of projects may be included in the Expenditure Plan? While actual project selection would be subject to an exhaustive public review process, it is clear that there are a number of potential transportation projects that cannot be developed, built and operated unless new funding sources are raised. A sample of the type of projects that may be eligible are: BART extensions. beyond what are committed to and funded in MTC's New Bail Starts and Extensions plan. Transit improvements on the Northwestern Pacific rail right- of-way in Marin and Sonoma County New commuter rail systems. • New light rail systems in Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties Electrification and service upgrades to CalTrain • New ferry services Additional high occupancy vehicle lanes • Other bus and carpool service Improvements How much funding is estimated to be raised? Approximately $3.5 to $3.9 billion (in 1992 dollars) could be raised over a 20 year time period. The actual amount would depend on actual motor vehicle fuel consumption over this period. Hors can counties in the San Francisco Bay Area be assured that they will receive their fair share? SB 1080, as introduced, requires that projects be included in the expenditure plan so that at least 70 percent of the estimated fuel tax revenues are expended in Bay Area counties based on their proportion of regional population. In addition, any discretionary action on these funds would require a majority vote of MTC weighted by the population of each county under MTC's Jurisdiction. How much funding would be used for administrative expenses? S8 1080 requires the State Board of Equalization to be reimbursed for only its actual costs in administering the tax, MTC is allowed to deduct a maximum of one-half percent of the fuel tax revenues for its costs in •administering this program. - - _.. ....-- ..__.....T_,.� Q G x o cwo o V 3 t' M w -�',j�NN OOC i t4 +� 0 Roca c� �0) oCD��'�¢ Gcoc� cr�j.,• 0 : C- 0 07 -op3 CO 0. a� p � 4� 0 RStC . asap 03 tt m co v x �� GGGu' Fr CP co OS N U C> t4 O o ~•c�a<r�� o to `°ter''�• F'• �� c''�s y'G 11� cs. Y w