Measure J
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Measure J |
The Transportation Sales Tax
WHAT IS Measure J?
Measure J is a transportation funding measure that was approved by voters in
1988. The funds come from a half-percent sales tax and are earmarked for transportation
spending. Though the tax does not expire for five years, the Contra Costa Transportation
Authority (CCTA) has created a new expenditure plan that will be on the November
2004 ballot.
In May 2004 the CCTA adopted the Final Measure J Package, expected to raise
$2 billion over 25 years. The distribution of funding for the new Measure J
would be a significant improvement over the existing measure. The new measure
provides for more funding for basic transit programs and includes new programs
that received little or no funding in the original measure:
· Smart growth: $100 million
· Transit and alternatives to driving: $780 million
· HOV-lane-related highway projects: $180 million
· Highways and Roads (not HOV-related): $820 million
· Other (administrative costs, planning, etc.): $120 million
OUR NEUTRAL POSITION on Measure J
Although there are significant improvements in Measure J, Greenbelt Alliance
is extremely concerned with the growth management component of the measure.
It is critical to link transportation spending with growth management, because
where highways and transit go, development will follow; transportation spending
guides growth.
The current measure leaves decisions on growth management to an ad hoc process that occurs only after this November's vote. The process is vulnerable to manipulation by sprawl developers and by elected officials that are beholden to development interests.
Greenbelt Alliance would like to see an Urban Limit Line and associated policies that will strengthen growth management, protect open space and help create more livable communities for Contra Costa County. As the ULL process moves forward, we will work to engage Contra Costa residents in an effort to obtain:
Greenbelt Alliance will mobilize activists throughout Contra Costa County to ask elected leaders to develop a strong and meaningful growth management plan for Contra Costa County. Without such a plan, the transportation sales tax will be a vehicle for sprawl. For more information about the Urban Limit Line campaign, click here.
Campaign Update
November 2004
Measure J, the transportation sales tax which passed on November 2nd, mandates
that cities adhere to a voter-approved Urban Limit Line (ULL). However, the
exact location of the line cities are to adhere to, and the policies associated
with the line, have yet to be established. The passage of the measure and the
end of campaign season means that the ULL negotiations are now beginning in
earnest. Although these negotiations are supposed to be completed by Dec 31,
it is universally assumed that the process will continue for an additional two
weeks. The process calls for the County's four sub-regions—east, west,
south and central—to make recommendations on where the line should go.
October 2004
Task force meetings are continuing in the four sub-regions of the county. To
date, the following cities have requested land be brought within the Urban Limit
Line, and thus be open for development, in the amounts indicated: Brentwood,
1718 acres; Pittsburg, over 1000 acres; Concord, 3950 acres; Clayton, 66 acres.
Antioch has a city policy that the line should be at the 1990 location, but
so far has declined to propose moving the line. That area is roughly 1000 acres
including Roddy Ranch and Ginocchio. Because of the policy interplay between
the Urban Limit Line and San Ramon's existing UGB, San Ramon is also effectively
asking for the ability to develop 400 acres that are currently off limits. The
cities have begun to consider the criteria for moving the line, and a detailed
proposal has been made by Greenbelt Alliance and Save Mount Diablo.
As expected, South County (Lamorinda and San Ramon/Danville) and West County (El Cerrito, San Pablo, Richmond, Pinole, Hercules) are supportive of a tight line with stringent criteria including voter approval. There has also been support for increasing the minimum lot size in the South group, and for delaying the first review of the line to 2014 at earliest.
September 2004
The 1/2 percent sales tax for transportation in Contra Costa County will appear
on November's ballot as Measure J. The measure has been endorsed by the Transportation
and Land Use Coalition (TALC), the Central Labor Council, and several other
groups. Sierra Club has no official position on the measure, while Save Mount
Diablo is neutral pending a meeting this month. The East Bay League of Conservation
Voters and the East Bay Bicycle Coalition oppose the measure, as does the Alliance
of Contra Costa Taxpayers. Polling numbers range from 62 to 75 percent (the
measure requires a two-thirds supermajority to pass). The County is moving forward
to move the line to be "co-terminous" with the city limits as a precursor
to defining the urban limit line (ULL).
Greenbelt Alliance has developed a policy proposal that would make the ULL mandated by the measure similar in many respects to Alameda County's Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). This includes stronger policies outside the line and strict criteria for moving the line. Sierra Club is also working actively on the campaign, which is a grassroots lobbying effort aimed at key members of the ULL task force. Reception has been fairly warm so far, and meetings with the homebuilder's association and City Council members indicate that those groups will be willing to accept the current line with no significant changes for the next 10 years.
July 2004
The Transportation Sales Tax (Measure C) has been approved by the needed majority
of cities, and the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has clearly indicated
that they will put the measure on the ballot. They must do so by August 6th
for the November election. The Urban Limit Line process mandated by the measure
was supposed to begin by July 1st, but is now anticipated to begin in earnest
in September. As such, we do not expect to have a clear ULL, and associated
policies, determined prior to the measure being put to the ballot. There are
some rumors that elected officials and business interests will try to sit down
with us prior to finalizing the measure in one last effort to broker a ULL compromise.
July 6, 2004
Six cities expected to OK tax initiative. Read
the Contra Costa Times article.
June 2004
The Contra Costa County Transportation Authority unanimously approved the expenditure
plan and growth management components of the Transportation Sales Tax reauthorization.
The County and a majority of Cities representing a majority of the population
must ratify the language by August 6 to place it on the ballot. The growth management
program dictates that a mutually agreed upon Urban Limit Line and policies be
determined by Dec 31, 2004 and voted on in a county-wide ballot in 2006.
April 2004
The Transportation Authority staff has rejected the draft compromise proposed
by environmental, labor, and business groups. The staff recommendation has 25%
of the measure going to local jurisdictions for new roads or road maintenance,
only 5% for bus service. The growth management program has been completely gutted,
but Vasco Road widening is in. Greenbelt Alliance is working now to keep this
measure off the ballot this fall.
November 2003
Greenbelt Alliance is continuing the dialogue with the business community to
come up with a spending package that can be supported by all the major stakeholders,
without compromising Greenbelt Alliance's and our coalition partners' key concerns.
At the same time we are working with our partner organizations on a postcard
drive to start gathering names of supporters for the Fall campaign.
April 2003
Meetings on Measure C continue. Contact the Transportation And Land Use Coalition
today to get involved.