Los Banos, Livingston not on regional list for transportation projects

A proposal to raise Merced County’s sales tax by a half-cent is drawing skepticism from Los Banos and Livingston officials who say their cities would see no benefit from the regional transportation projects the new tax would fund

Some of the most vocal criticism has come from Los Banos Mayor Mike Villalta, who attended a Livingston City Council meeting Tuesday to try to persuade officials there to vote against the proposed county tax. He said he won’t support the measure because it would offer nothing for the west side of the county.

Furthermore, he said, the Merced County Association of Governments would have too much authority over the portion of proceeds to be funneled into regional projects.

“The authority is given to MCAG to change the expenditure plan,” he said Tuesday. “Even if you’re promised a regional project, you can be simply outvoted.”

The county association of governments is made up of 11 elected city and county officials, including Villalta and Livingston Mayor Rodrigo Espinoza, who also voiced opposition to the proposed tax.

The sales tax proposal has been pitched as a way for Merced County to make up for slumps in state transportation funding, because gas tax dollars have waned as cars become more efficient, among other reasons.

In a letter to the state Legislature from January, the California Transportation Commission estimated transportation funding will be reduced by $754 million, a 38 percent decrease, over the the next five years. In anticipation of that, the commission said scores of projects would be delayed or deleted, including plans to widen both sides of Highway 99 in Livingston.

The more than $430 million Los Banos Bypass, a proposed addition to divert Highway 152 traffic around the city, is not being considered for regional funding either, according to Villalta.

The proposal would need support from two-thirds of Merced County voters to pass in November. But first, the majority of the county’s six cities would need to officially endorse the plan for it to appear on the fall ballot.

The tax increase would last for 30 years, amassing an estimated $450 million in that time, and would be untouchable by the state, city leaders said. The details for the proposed tax are not final, but each city would receive a base amount of money – $150,000 a year, for example – and the remainder would be divvied up by population and the miles of road in each jurisdiction.

A survey late last year showed about 71 percent of likely voters would support the tax. And, officials in Atwater have voiced support because the city is struggling to keep up on necessary road maintenance.

The Merced County Association of Governments estimates Los Banos and Livingston would be allotted $767,143 and $368,040, respectively, each year through the tax. The opponents noted that the regional dollars would be headed to projects outside of Livingston or Los Banos.

Livingston Councilman Gurpal Samra said leaders in the city haven’t made up their minds about the proposed tax but would likely not support it as it looks now. Livingston, he said, would need some skin in the game and some guarantee from the county association.

“The way it stands now, Livingston has no regional plans on the list,” he said. “It makes me wonder, why would we support it?”

This story was originally published March 2, 2016 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Los Banos, Livingston not on regional list for transportation projects."