Dennis Brazil and Jerry Antonetti: No one will fix our roads for us; pass Measure V

Anyone who has lived in Merced County knows our roads are in dismal shape. Our ability to bring new and exciting projects to the city and county are impeded by an aging roadway system. This is our collective problem, neither the state nor the federal governments are going to solve it for us.

Measure V is a half-percent sales tax that will generate revenues to fix our roads and upgrade our transportation system. Half of all revenues will go to the cities and Merced County for roadway maintenance (pothole repair, resurfacing, etc.) and alternative projects (sidewalks, crosswalks, etc.). The other half will pay for large-scale regional projects on both the east and west sides of the county as well as transit services.

Passing this measure will designate Merced a “self-help county,” which puts us in a competitive position for state and federal grants. Hoping someone else is going to step in and pay to upgrade of our roads hasn’t worked; we must take this project on ourselves. The consequences of not passing this measure should be self evident – more potholes, more frustration and a less competitive environment for businesses. The choice is simple: Vote yes on Measure V.

This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 1:17 PM with the headline "Dennis Brazil and Jerry Antonetti: No one will fix our roads for us; pass Measure V."