You hate the roads in Merced County? Here’s your shot to say where funding should go

Merced County will soon be making a list of transportation projects to pursue and, with recent changes in tax law, the county is expected to actually have money to spend, according to officials.

A half-cent sales tax called Measure V was adopted by voters last year and is expected to raise about $450 million countywide over 30 years, according to the plan.

Then there’s State Bill 1, a gas tax expected to generate another $200 million aimed at so-called self-help counties. Merced County became self-help when it adopted Measure V.

County leaders said this year is shaping up to be particularly important, according to Stacie Dabbs, the deputy director of the Merced County Association of Governments.

The regional plan gets an update every four years. “Compared to our 2014 plan, we have money,” she said.

The information gathering starts in meetings next week with many more planned before next summer. The regional planning document is the playbook for transportation officials, she said.

“We’re really looking at the projects that drive economic development, that are driving commute patterns, the way people are getting to work and school, the way people are getting in or out of county,” she said. “These are big picture things.”

Comments can also be left at MercedRegional Vision.com.

This story was originally published July 14, 2017 at 8:09 AM with the headline "You hate the roads in Merced County? Here’s your shot to say where funding should go."