Calaveras County Road Tax Business Unfinished

A potential tax increase to cover road projects could be a ways in the future as county officials take time to study the issues.

In a report to the Council of Governments (COG), Executive Director George Dondero presented his goals for 2004 at the council´s Wednesday meeting. At the top of the page was finishing the Road Impact Mitigation Program, but the next step probably won´t take place until late next month, he said. First comes a study session for the Board of Supervisors.

“I´ve been requested to schedule a study session on the other funding programs that could be used to complete the funding of the fee program,” Dondero said.

The RIM program, approved by supervisors in January still needs $119 million to pay for the program´s road projects. Supervisors hope taxpayers will contribute the remaining balance in the form of a gasoline, sales, parcel, or transient occupancy tax.

Dondero pointed out that a local sales tax initiative would need businesses support. “I can´t, and the supervisors can´t, go out and promote a tax,” he said. “There has to be a grassroots effort.”

Also Wednesday, the council, upon reviewing a recent transit assessment, agreed to implement one of three improvement options it presented.

The improvements would be to make some changes in scheduling, to make connections work better, to make the system more convenient for people who work at the Government Center in San Andreas and to add runs for more frequent service, Dondero said.

The transit improvement plan will be presented to Board of Supervisors for its consideration Feb. 23.

Calaveras Enterprise story by Vanessa Turner. For more Calaveras news, click: calaverasenterprise.com