The Board of Directors of the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) voted Wednesday to take Measure H off the November ballot, after approving it to go before voters just a few weeks prior.
The action came after SLOCOG consultants advised the board the measure was unlikely to pass this year.
If Measure H went before voters in November and was approved, it was expected to raise $35 million per year for road repairs and transportation improvements in the county.
SLOCOG called a special meeting of the board at the Board of Supervisors (BOS) dias Wednesday to address the measure, which had recently been approved for placement on the November ballot. Following consultant recommendations that voter appetite for a transportation tax is not strong enough this election cycle, the board voted to pull it.
Jorge Aguilar, with the Better Roads for All SLO County Committee, said the coalition is not giving up on its goal of making San Luis Obispo a "self-help county," a designation that would make the county eligible for additional grant funding to repair roads.
"The coalition remains united. We're going to continue to advocate for a 'self-help county' for San Luis Obispo," Aguilar said. The term 'self-help county' means local transportation agencies have passed voter-approved transportation sales tax measures to fund local transportation projects. This allows the county to raise their own funds, rather than rely on dwindling federal funds, and it allows them to apply for matching grant funded opportunities.
San Luis Obispo County is currently the only county among five in the Central Coast region without "self-help" status, according to Aguilar.
The board agreed Wednesday that 2028 is a more favorable target for the measure. SLO County Board Supervisor Heather Moreno explained why a presidential election year offers better odds for a measure requiring a two-thirds supermajority. When the BOS posts the link to the meeting from Wednesday morning, it will be available here.
"In a presidential election, you get more turnout. And two-thirds is a very high threshold. You don't commonly get a special tax measure which requires that two-thirds vote. You don't normally see those passing on a regular basis. And often an agency that has passed one has had to try several times to get that to pass," Moreno said.
Keeping the measure on the ballot despite its low odds of passing would have cost SLOCOG around $600,000. The price tag represents SLOCOG's administrative cost to place the measure on the ballot. However, because the county is still finalizing ballots, removing the measure now will not create a financial burden for the county or SLOCOG.
Erin Clausen, a spokesperson for the SLO County Clerk-Recorder's Office, said the timing of Wednesday's decision works in the county's favor.
"At this stage of the game, it's not actually on a ballot, we're still developing the ballots, in part because candidate filing still runs through this week, so after this week, the ballots themselves come together," Clausen said.
Behind the scenes, Aguilar confirmed to KSBY that legal action is likely. He said the original consultants who helped gather signatures in support of the transportation tax left out important language on the petitions, rendering them invalid. That error led to elected officials placing the measure on the ballot through an alternative process, and ultimately to Wednesday's vote to remove it.
The Better Roads for All SLO County committee says it will continue working toward self-help county status and plans to bring the measure back before voters in 2028.
The goal with the original Measure H is outlined in the graphic below.
According to Worthley, 55% of the revenue raised each year would go toward local road repairs, 40% toward regional projects, 4% toward enhanced mobility services and programs such as Ride-On and Senior Go, and 1% toward administration and oversight.
For details on Measure H as sponsored by SLOCOG, click here.
For details on the Central Coast Taxpayers Association, click here.
If you have a story idea you would like to send to KSBY Reporter Jessica Roe, you can reach her directly via email at jessica.roe@ksby.com.
