If today’s rules had applied in 1987 when voters first went tothe polls to consider a half-cent sales tax to help pay fortransportation projects, the measure would have failed by adouble-digit margin.
Today, in order to Proposition A — the measure that willask voters this November to extend the transportation tax thatvoters approved nearly 20 years ago — a simple majority simplywon’t do.
When the tax, known as TransNet, was on the ballot in 1987, the53 percent approval it garnered was enough to it.
But a state initiative ed by voters eight years ago thatrestricts how taxes can be raised means that this November, 66.6percent of voters will need to approve the 40-year taxextension.
The San Diego Association of Governments, the regional planningagency that is pushing for the extension, may push for changes tothat threshold if the measure fails, said Garry Bonelli,association spokesman.
Backers concede that the two-thirds requirement presentschallenges, especially when not everyone is on board. Republicanlegislators have skewered the plan.
The $14 billion in revenues expected from the extension will besplit about evenly among freeways, local roads and publictransportation projects. The current tax expires in 2008.
Critics, including county Supervisors Bill Horn, Dianne Jacoband Pam Slater-Price say more of the revenues — 50 percent –should go to freeways, which carry the bulk of commuters.
But proponents say that polls so far show more than 70 percentof voters would the measure– more than enough needed toget it ed. And they say that getting voters to approve anextension is easier than getting them to approve a new tax.
Critics have said that convincing voters that the plan is flawedwill be easier because such a large percentage of the vote isneeded for approval.
“That makes it much to the advantage of those of us who arewilling to fight to see it not be extended,” said Jerry Harmon, aspokesman for a group called Traffic Relief is Possible thatopposes the measure.
Harmon served on the Escondido City Council from 1974 to 1998.Before leaving office, Harmon and his ers ran a successfulcampaign to Proposition S, which reduced the Escondido CityCouncil’s ability to make land-use decisions. That same year, hefought an unsuccessful campaign against Bill Horn for the 5thDistrict county supervisor’s seat.
Harmon said with the well-oiled campaign that he expects to seein favor of the extension, his group will need others to speak outagainst the measure.
The measure that requires a higher approval threshold for sometax initiatives was Proposition 218. ed in 1996, it requiresthat 66.6 percent approval for a tax assessment to . Generaltaxes that are not directed to certain projects or for a specificuse can be approved with a simple majority.
In that vein, the proposition is “counter-intuitive,” Bonellisaid. Voters can hold elected officials more able for theway they spend taxes directed at specific needs, he said.
If tax measures such as TransNet continue to fail after makingwhat would otherwise be a strong showing at the polls, there willprobably be challenges to Prop. 218, Bonelli said. The associationboard has already talked about the need to work with statelegislators to get the threshold moved back to 55 percent or 50percent plus one if TransNet fails.
Two years ago, similar measures failed in Fresno, Madera, Mercedand Solano counties, despite having received more than 50 percentof the vote. Three of the five ballot measures were extensions; twowere proposed new taxes. Only Riverside County succeeded in gettingthe two-thirds needed to extend its existing half-penny sales-taxfor 30 years, beginning in 2009.
Polls commissioned by the association in July 2003 and March2004 pegged the for extending TransNet in San Diego Countyabove 70 percent, Bonelli said. The one taken last year, forinstance, showed 52 percent of respondents strongly ed thetax extension and 22 percent somewhat ed it.
staff writer Katherine Marks at (760) 740-3529 or[email protected].
