CSAC continues to advocate for local government funding in any new transportation funding package, and hopes to work with counties to engage legislators on local transportation needs while they are in their districts during the summer recess, which lasts until August 17. CSAC has the following suggestions for actions counties can take: 

1. Save the Date for a Transportation Listening Session: The Legislature will be holding a series of listening sessions on transportation needs starting at the end of July similar to the field hearings held earlier in the year in Los Angeles and San Jose. The sessions are tentatively scheduled in mid- to late-August and will likely be held somewhere in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and in Fresno. Stay tuned for more details as we work to identify speakers and coordinate public comment.
2. Pass a Resolution in Support of New Transportation Funding: At the request of Speaker Toni Atkins, CSAC and the League of Cities developed a sample resolution in support of new funding for transportation. The resolution outlines six broad concepts that any funding package should meet in order to gain local government support. The idea is that counties and cities can pass this more general resolution, rather than take a position on a specific proposal at this time (although many counties already have), since legislative leaders are still negotiating the details of the final package. CSAC encourages your county to consider this approach and if supportive, adopt the resolution as soon as possible.
3. Develop an Anticipated Project List: CSAC staff have been working with the County Engineers Association (CEAC) to provide illustrative lists of the types of projects that would likely be funded under the transportation funding package proposed by the Speaker last winter. Thirty-four counties have already provided such lists, which are helpful in educating members and the media as to the types of projects local communities can anticipate being funded with new revenues for local streets and roads.

On the legislative front, SBX1 1, by Senator Jim Beall, is still the most well-defined transportation funding proposal, although other bills have been introduced related to truck weight fees, protecting transportation revenues from diversion, and supporting public-private partnerships. SBX1 1 was originally introduced as an identical measure to SB 16 (Beall) from the regular session. This week, the bill was amended as follows: 

1. The gas tax increase would now be 12 cents rather than 10 cents;
2. The diesel tax increase would be 22 cents, rather than 12 cents, with a full 12 cents allocated to trade corridor improvement projects;
3. The bill would eliminate the complex rate-setting process for the price-based excise tax on gasoline and diesel (which replaced the former sales tax charged on these fuels) and instead set the rate at 17.3 cents and index the rate to inflation beginning in 2018;
4. Once a local jurisdiction has reached a pavement condition index of 85, it would be able to use funding raised by the bill for transportation purposes beyond what is identified in the bill;
5. Allowable uses of funding are identified as road maintenance and rehabilitation, safety projects, railroad grade separations, as well as active transportation and pedestrian and bicycle safety projects built in conjunction with any other allowable project.
6. The bill retains the $100 registration fee on zero-emission vehicles and the $35 fee on other vehicles;
7. The bill eliminates the Vehicle License Fee hike, which would have been used to backfill the truck weight fees which are being transferred to the general fund to pay off transportation bonds, and replaces those revenues with a $35 “Road Access Charge.”
8. Finally, the bill no longer includes a five-year sunset, thus constituting a permanent funding package.