Cracked pavement, potholes and broken sidewalks are a familiar frustration for many Lompoc residents, and city leaders are now considering a sales tax increase to help pay for long-delayed repairs.
The Lompoc City Council is weighing a proposed half-cent sales tax that would be dedicated to fixing streets, sidewalks and storm water infrastructure. City officials say Lompoc is more than $70 million behind in deferred road and sidewalk maintenance.
Geneva Kinsey, a lifelong Lompoc resident, says she sees the problem daily as both a driver and a pedestrian.
“Especially after the rains that we had, the storms, the roads are definitely in need of some repair,” Kinsey said.
Kinsey said while she has noticed improvements in some areas of the city, other neighborhoods, particularly older parts of Lompoc, still struggle with uneven pavement and missing or damaged sidewalks. She said those conditions can be especially difficult for families walking through town.
If the measure appears on the ballot, Kinsey said she would support it.
“If it’s to help the roadways, I’m all for a little bit of a tax increase on that,” she said.
Mayor Jim Mosby said the city’s infrastructure challenges have grown for years as maintenance costs increased and revenue sources declined. He said Lompoc currently spends about $2 million annually on street maintenance, far short of what is needed.
“What is currently being proposed is a special tax that would go just for fixing streets, sidewalks and storm water,” Mosby said. “This needs to go directly to where it’s needed.”
Mosby acknowledged that not all streets are in poor condition, but said many areas require significant repairs or full replacement.
Under the proposal, the half-cent sales tax would raise an estimated $3.8 million per year. Mosby said the city is considering a 15-year sunset on the tax and limiting how the money can be spent to ensure it is not diverted to other city expenses.
While some residents and councilmembers support the proposal, others raised concerns during a recent city council meeting. Councilmember Jeremy Ball said he worries that focusing solely on roads could leave other critical city needs underfunded.
“There’s a concern that we could spend $4 million on improving our streets and fixing potholes,” Ball said, noting the city also faces challenges with public safety and emergency services.
Councilmember Victor Vega also expressed concern about the financial risk if the measure fails at the ballot box, especially if Santa Barbara County moves forward with its own sales tax increase measure.
“If it goes through and we lose, we still lose that money,” Vega said. “So the impact is something no one’s asked about.”
City officials have said timing is a key factor. If the county were to pass a sales tax increase first, Lompoc could be prevented from adopting its own local measure.
The city council has not yet approved the tax increase. Staff is expected to return with draft ballot language for a future vote, including whether the measure would appear on the June ballot.
