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Carbajal-Centeno compromise breaks deadlock on Measure D renewal
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Alex Pujo
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Apr 05, 2006 20:36 PDT
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CARBAJAL-CENTENO COMPROMISE BREAKS DEADLOCK ON MEASURE D RENEWAL
Buellton, Wednesday April 5
Extraordinary leadership by County Supervisors Salud Carbajal and Joe
Centeno brought the renewal of Measure D, the county sales tax for
transportation set to expire in 2010, a step closer to reality. The Santa
Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) held a day long workshop
in Buellton today to discuss the complex details of the "A + B" dual
propositions proposed by consultant Larry Tramutola to extend Measure D for
another 30 years.
After a lenghty presentation of the Expenditure Plan and changes requested
by the public, City Councils and the Board of Supervisors, SBCAG had a
crucial decision to make: 1) Renew Measure D with the current "70/30 split"
between local share and regional projects; 2) Postpone action until the 2008
election to allow for more discussion; 3) Put measures A and B on the
ballot; or 4) Combine A and B into a single measure.
The Coalition for a Fair Measure D objected to the dual measures because
most of the road projects were in "A" (extension of the current tax, likely
to pass), and most of the alternative transportation projects were in "B" (a
1/4 cent tax increase, at risk). The Board of SBCAG voted 9 to 2 to combine
both measures into a single tax.
It is hard to overestimate the importance and the repercussions of this
decision. An agency originally set in perpetuating outdated transportation
policies is successfully challenged by a growing coalition of organizations
requesting a balanced measure to benefit all taxpayers, not just car
drivers. A consensus is finally achieved to move forward with a plan that
will drastically affect our county's infrastructure for the next two
generations.
As we move forward to finalize the details of this plan (it's not over yet!)
and, more importantly, to educate the electorate that will make this vision
a reality, we pause for a moment to recognize those who so generously
donated their time and energy to make this possible. We also acknowledge
Supervisors Carbajal and Centeno for this remarkable achievement.
Alex Pujo, Secretary
Coalition for Sustainable Transportation (COAST)
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