Latest news with #MeasureC
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Measure C transformed roads in Clovis. What happens if renewal vote fails?
For nearly four decades, Measure C has funded some of Clovis' biggest transportation projects — such as road maintenance, bicycle lanes, and Clovis Roundup Transit. After a failed 2022 renewal, the county-wide half-cent sales tax will be back on the ballot next year for its last shot. Voters will decide whether to keep the transportation tax, which would otherwise expire in 2027. Currently, there are dual efforts to put measures on the ballot. The Fresno Council of Governments and Measure C opposition community groups, which are both holding community meetings and gathering input for their own proposals, diverged on the transportation tax spending priorities. Interest groups are also stepping in to work out the differences between the two organizations. Without the tax, a significant portion of the county's transportation-related projects — especially in major cities such as Fresno and Clovis that were favored by Measure C allocations — would lose tens of millions of dollars per year in road maintenance and expansion. Here's how Measure C impacts Clovis. Approved by county voters in 1986, Measure C supports transportation-related improvements in Fresno County. The half-cent sales tax has raised more than $2.1 billion in local funds, and brought another $8 billion in matching funds from state and federal sources. The measure has funded local road repairs, airport upgrades, public transit, highway expansions, projects to make streets around schools safer to walk and bike to be safe and easier to walk, as well as discounted transit rates for seniors, said Kendall Flint, consultant from Fresno County's Measure C Committee. 'You can use Measure C funds to leverage, in other words, you take that money and say to the state or federal government, 'We're going to put some money up here, we're going to use that to leverage for other grants,'' Flint said. 'Without this type of money in the reserves, you're not able to access those (matching) funds.' The tax dollars are used exclusively for transportation investment and cannot be used for parks, fire, police, or other purposes, Flint said. Measure C costs an average household under $8 per month, according to the Measure C Committee. Taxable goods include clothing, furniture, and toys. There are also exemptions under Measure C, such as fresh food and medicine. About 25% of the tax revenues come from visitors outside the county, such as tourists travelling to the national parks, Flint said at a recent Clovis City Council meeting. Large-scale projects funded by Measure C include the expansion of Willow Avenue from Nees Avenue up to Copper Avenue, widening Shaw Avenue from McCall to Leonard to DeWolf Avenue, and the planned widening of Herndon Avenue from Temperance Avenue to Locan Avenue in 2026. From 2007 to 2024, Clovis received more than $41 million in funding directly from Measure C, according to the committee website. Approximately 8% of the measure is allocated to Clovis annually, said Chad McCollum, Clovis' housing and communications director for economic development. Occasionally, the city also receives additional funds for major street improvements, but the grants are competitive. 'Measure C plays a key role in annual maintenance efforts,' McCollum said. 'These include resealing and slurry-sealing neighborhood streets, ensuring local roads remain in good condition, as well as the restriping of all city bike lanes to maintain safe and accessible routes for cyclists.' In 2024, the tax dollars were used to upgrade 147 curb return ramps for ADA compliance, he said. Voters rejected an attempt to renew Measure C in 2022. The measure needed two-thirds voter approval to pass but only gained 58% of 'yes' votes. Critics said the renewal process lacked community engagement and transparency. Opposition campaigns, such as the No on Measure C committee, criticized the proposed spending plan in 2022 for not doing enough to prioritize public transportation, climate-friendly solutions, or rural communities. This year, besides Measure C, there's another transportation-related sales tax measure moving into the limelight. Transportation For All, formed by environmental justice advocates and community groups that opposed Measure C in 2022, recently held its first of 40 'community visioning sessions' throughout the summer to gather community input on priorities. The group says its process is more inclusive and democratic, and that residents' and taxpayers' voices are heard in their formulation of the expenditure plan. Meanwhile, the county's transportation officials named a Measure C steering committee, whose 23 members are primarily industry insiders and executives from labor groups and community organizations, to draft an expenditure plan. Meetings will be livestreamed with several community meetings planned. Clovis officials say the needs of the community and project list would take about a year to formulate. The city's Development and Community Investment budget, forecasts projects five years out and designates anticipated funding sources including Measure C. Clovis relies heavily on Measure C to fund the city's transportation system. Without Measure C, Clovis will lose approximately $4 million every year for road maintenance and other transportation-related improvements, as well as $2 million per year for Clovis Transit, according to city officials. 'Clovis takes pride in maintaining high-quality roads and reliable transit services,' McCollum said. 'Without these crucial funds, Clovis will face significant challenges in sustaining road maintenance and public transit, impacting residents' daily lives and the city's overall infrastructure.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fresno voters could face confusing choice between competing tax measures
What's worse than an election with one transportation tax? An election with two transportation tax initiatives vying for voter approval on the same ballot. Fresno County voters next June could potentially face a confusing choice between competing sales tax measures to fund roads, public transit, bike lanes and traffic technology if the opposing sides from the 2022 election dust-up don't soon combine forces. Despite repeated attempts to mend bridges, such a truce has proven elusive. Leaving the county's official Measure C renewal effort led by local electeds and business leaders and the Transportation For All coalition to pursue parallel tracks as both begin their outreach efforts. Opinion Over the last few weeks, county transportation officials named a 23-member Measure C steering committee tasked with drafting an expenditure plan for the new initiative between now and November. The committee held its first meeting Thursday; six more are scheduled. At the same time, staff and consultants began making the rounds at city council meetings. Monday's presentation before the Clovis City Council contained heavy doses of doom and gloom about what would happen if Measure C expires (the official sunset date is June 30, 2027) with no extension in place. Not to be outdone, Transportation For All held its first 'community visioning session' on May 3 in tiny San Joaquin, where more than 200 people turned out. The next such meeting is May 17 at the Reedley Community Center, followed by five more through the end of June. Formed in 2022 to successfully oppose the Measure C renewal during that election cycle, Transportation For All is composed mainly of community groups and environmental justice advocates including Fresno Building Healthy Communities, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, League of Women Voters, Cultiva La Salud and Youth Leadership Institute. With a little more than one year before the June 2026 election, coalition members remain hopeful an agreement will be reached that allows the two sides to join forces. Furthermore, they say that is their goal. 'We're getting closer and closer to the wire here, but we've been trying everything we can to try to make this one merged, coordinated effort,' said Fresno Unified board member Andy Levine, one of a handful of elected officials who opposed Measure C in the last election. 'We need Measure C. We need the best possible version of Measure C.' The other big player in this drama is the Central Valley Community Foundation, the region's largest philanthropic organization helmed by former Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, which backed the Transportation For All-led No on C campaign in 2022. Speaking on behalf of the CVCF during last month's Fresno Council of Governments policy board meeting, Alan Pierrot said the organization is willing to foot the $400,000 bill for a signature drive to qualify the measure for the ballot – and lower the required voter threshold to a simple majority – but only if the two sides come together. To assist in bridging the gap between the county's Measure C campaign and the one community groups are unfurling, the CVCF recruited a surprising name: Steve Brandau, the former Fresno County supervisor. Interesting choice to play peacemaker. While Brandau was the only county supervisor to oppose Measure C in 2022, calling 11th-hour maneuverings 'a shitshow,' he employed the equally colorful phrase 'poverty pimps' in 2018 to describe environmental justice advocates who are now key players in Transportation For All. Brandau declined to be interviewed, citing the sensitive nature of ongoing talks. But face-to-face conversations have taken place between Brandau, representing the CVCF, and Fresno BHC CEO Sandra Celedon, both confirm. Oh, to be a fly on the wall during those sessions 'Everyone is playing a multi-billion dollar game of chicken, waiting to see who will blink first,' CVCF board member J.P. Shamshoian told the Fresno COG board during its April 24 meeting. Neither initiative's spending plan – the county's Measure C renewal or Transportation For All's version – has actually been formulated. So any comparison at this point is impossible. The biggest difference between the two sides is how much weight each gives to community engagement early in the process. The county's way of doing things allows the public to have a voice, except with no guarantee anyone listens. The actual decision-making takes place among a group of insiders on the steering committee (mainly hand-picked industry and executives) and during meetings that are noticed and streamed online but offer no way for the public to participate. Craft the measure, then go out and sell it to voters. By contrast, the process favored by Transportation For All begins with a series of public meetings that build upon one another and identify community priorities that inform the spending plan. In addition, a citizen panel would get one final review before it goes before each city council, transportation agency boards and finally the county Board of Supervisors for ballot approval. 'Our process is really inclusive and democratic in that it ensures that residents and taxpayers have both the voice and the power they deserve to shape transportation decisions in Fresno County,' said Celedon, who is running for state Assembly. 'It's a very clear, sequential approach to developing a plan we can all support versus what the COG is doing, which is relying on the same process from the last go-around when the measure failed.' The Measure C steering committee held its first meeting Thursday, during which not a word was uttered about the competing effort until member Gail Miller mentioned it to county consultant Kendall Flint at the very last moment. Miller, who represents Fresno COG's citizens oversight committee, told Flint she had met with members of the Transportation For All coalition and said it would be 'disastrous to the community' if there were two competing tax measures. 'We're working on it,' Flint replied tersely. Better work fast, because two isn't better than one in this case. Only more confusing – and therefore less likely to garner voter trust.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
San Diego's tax hike for hotels and short-term stays goes into effect soon
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Starting Thursday, people booking stays at hotels, motels and short-term rentals in San Diego will see higher costs due to a new tax increase that is set to take effect. The city's Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), which was approved by voters as Measure C in 2020, will also be tacked on to stays at RV parks and campgrounds. After it takes effect May 1, the tax will apply to anywhere that is rented out to transients, defined by the city as people who stay in a property for less than a month. 4,200 tickets given out in San Diego in first two months of California's daylighting law Currently, the city's TOT is 10.5%. Starting Thursday, that tax will go up depending on a property's proximity to the San Diego Convention Center. It will be divided into three zones with properties closest to the Convention Center with the highest tax percentage at 13.75%. The two other zones will be taxed at 12.75% and 11.75%, according to the city. Before it passed, Measure C faced legal challenges that pushed back its enactment. For example, although it was approved by 65% of voters in 2020, it fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass. Following subsequent years of legal battles to decide whether it did pass and could be implemented, a San Diego Superior Court judge ruled last year that since Measure C was a citizens-led initiative, it only needed a simple majority or 50%. The increased tax is expected to generate approximately $82 million for the city in fiscal year 2026 and more than $1 million in additional revenue within the first ten years after it goes into effect. In its sixth through 10th year, 59% of revenue from the tax will go toward the Convention Center and related operations and 31% will be spent on addressing homelessness. The remaining 10% will be allocated for street repairs and infrastructure improvements throughout the city. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
San Diego's ‘hotel room tax' increases soon
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Staying at hotels and motels, short-term rentals, and RV parks and campgrounds in the city of San Diego is about to get more expensive. The city's Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) will increase starting May 1, following its approval as Measure C back in 2020. Frustration grows over potholes along Miramar Road in San Diego According to the city, the tax applies to all properties rented to transients. It defines a 'transient' as anyone who stays in a property for less than one month. It took a considerable amount of time for the city to enact the tax increase due to legal challenges. Although it was approved by 65% of San Diegans in 2020, the measure needed a two-thirds majority to pass. Years later, a San Diego Superior Court judge ruled Measure C only needed 50% of votes to be enacted. San Diego city leaders propose major parking management overhaul Starting in May, the tax increase will be divided into three zones with corresponding rates based on how close a lodging facility or campground is to the San Diego Convention Center. The properties closest to the Convention Center will have the highest tax percentage at 13.75%. The other two zones will be taxed at 12.75% and 11.75%. The current TOT is 10.5%. According to the city, the increased tax will lead to approximately $82 million in fiscal year 2026, with more than $1 million in additional revenue within the first ten years of its implementation. Until 2030, 59% of the revenue generated will go toward financing the Convention Center and 41% to address homelessness, according to the city. For the sixth through tenth year after the start of the tax, the allocations will change. The city still plans to spend 59% on the Convention Center and related operations, but 31% will be allocated to efforts to address homelessness and the remaining 10% will support street repairs and infrastructure improvements. The Office of the City Treasurer says it plans to begin notifying lodging operators, property management companies and online hosting platforms about the tax rate increase next week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
06-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
San Francisco group rallies to protest evictions at homeless shelters
San Francisco prides itself on its status as a sanctuary city. But some homeless immigrants say their families are being forced out, not through deportation but by eviction. The noon rally outside Everett Middle School in San Francisco included immigrant parents trying to raise their children while living in homeless shelters in the city. "We're here to demand a sensible answer to the question how does evicting working families from shelters solve anything," said Reverand Victor Floyd, a member of a group called Faith in Action. The city has a 90-day limit at its family homeless shelters. Then they're served with an eviction letter and may or may not be eligible for a 30-day extension. Everett's principal, Heidi Avelina Smith, joined the rally to urge San Francisco to live up to its "sanctuary" ideals. "By nature, a sanctuary is a warm, welcome, safe place to call home. A 30-day shelter policy is not a reflection of this commitment," she said. "San Francisco is one of the most expensive places in the nation. The cost of living, and more specifically, the cost of housing is an extraordinary challenge for all. A shelter policy that offers families with children only 30 days to attempt to stabilize economically is a policy that does not acknowledge the reality of our city today." Bridget Early has been the school's social worker for 17 years, and things have never been this bad. She said 80 kids, one-fifth of her students, are homeless with 20 of them living in city shelters. "It is shocking, and I honestly have to say it's shameful too that, for whatever reason, we don't take care of each other. And I think we see ourselves as separate, maybe. Or we don't have the shared responsibility to take care of our neighbors, but we should. And we do have the resources in this city to do that." The city does, in fact, have the money. Eight years ago, voters approved Measure C which taxes large businesses to establish a fund to fight homelessness. Now, there is $50 million available for hotel vouchers and rental subsidies. Supervisor Connie Chan said it's time to act in a big way. "We do have the capacity right now, we do have the funding now," she said. "It's like, what can we do to rip the bureaucracy, rip the red tape, and get them housed first. And I think if there were more families to come, we're going to tackle it along the way." That responsibility may fall on Mayor Daniel Lurie who, on Tuesday, was given more power to approve contracts to fight homelessness. Advocates are hoping that will cut though some of the bureaucracy and political bickering. Maria Zovala just received an eviction order to move out of the shelter room she shares with her two special needs children. "It's inhumane," she said. "For the responsible authorities to allow families with children and seniors to be on the street, living with uncertainty of not knowing what the current government is going to do with regards to deportations." The school said it's doing what it can to help. It provides a weekly food giveaway and maintains an on-campus thrift store. And it's experimenting with a guaranteed income program, offering one thousand dollars a month to the families of unhoused 6th graders. "Help us raise our next generation in a safe, secure and warm environment," said the principal. "A true sanctuary." It turns out that being a sanctuary city may involve more than just letting people stay. It may mean finding a space for them to live.
