Theron Sanders Sr.: Atwater will pay out more than it gets in road tax

Taxes are the necessary price we pay for public services. We pay federal, state, county and local taxes almost until eternity. In Merced County, residents are facing a half-cent transportation tax which will sting for the next 30 years. It is predicted to generate nearly a half-billion dollars. Yet, when county assistant public works director Richard Schwarz was asked if the tax would fix the problem, he commented, it won’t even come close.

County and city officials have made little effort in the past to address poor road conditions. Supervisor Deidre Kelsey stated, “I heard complaints (about road conditions) when I moved here 40 years ago.”

Here in Atwater residents have special reason to be leery. Officials claim Atwater will receive $618,000 a year as it’s portion of the tax yet will pay out $1.68 million a year. We know this because our finance director verified that is the amount received from our half-cent Measure H tax. So, Atwater residents, are you willing to tax yourself $1.68 million a year to fix your roads, only to have two thirds of the money siphoned off to the county? No, I didn’t think so!

This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 12:58 PM with the headline "Theron Sanders Sr.: Atwater will pay out more than it gets in road tax."