What Senate Bill 1 (Gas Tax) Will Mean for Cathedral City
No one likes to pay more in taxes unless the benefit is worthwhile. As of November 1st, the new statewide gas tax went into effect that raised fuel prices by an additional 12 cents a gallon to pay for additional road and street repairs throughout California including streets here in Cathedral City. This new tax revenue will help make your commute smoother and thereby lower your auto maintenance repairs related to pot holes and substandard streets. For less than the price of a gum ball out of a toy machine, we can generate needed revenue for important improvement projects that make getting around town better for all of us.
SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, was passed last April and over the next decade will raise more than $50 billion for transportation projects in California. The money will be split equally between state and local projects.
Locally, SB 1 is estimated to bring more than $1 million a year to Cathedral City once full implementation is reached. Prior to the passage of SB 1, Cathedral City had a backlog of unmet maintenance and needed road repairs. Now, as approved by Council on September 13, 2017, and using the SB 1 funding, we plan to begin work on the following projects:
• Date Palm Drive and Dinah Shore Drive Intersection Reconstruction: The estimated cost of this project is $800,000 and construction will begin in 2018, once adequate SB1 funds have accrued.
• Avenida Ximino Neighborhood Street Reconstruction: The estimated cost of this badly needed project is $650,000 and construction is tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2019 using SB1 revenues.
• Landau Blvd. and McCallum Way Intersection Traffic Signal Construction: The estimated cost of this new traffic signal is $400,000. It is scheduled for installation in the summer of 2020.
• Whispering Palms Neighborhood Street Pavement Rehabilitation: The estimated cost of this neighborhood street repaving project is $1,400,000. It is also scheduled for the summer of 2020.
Projects planned for future years using SB1 funding include the following:
• Century Park Neighborhood Street Pavement Rehabilitation: Estimated Cost = $1,400,000
• La Pasada Neighborhood Street Pavement Rehabilitation: Estimated Cost = $650,000
• Landau Public Alleyway Reconstruction: Estimated Cost = $400,000
Other projects in the City, such as the Cove slurry seal projects, the Date Palm and Cathedral Canyon bridge projects and others will also be completed using Assessment District funds, Measure A funds, grants and other dedicated revenue sources. Absent the SB1 funding, however, none of the projects identified above, is scheduled to be completed as current funding sources are inadequate to meet our needs for street and road maintenance.
Equally important, SB 1 includes strict accountability provisions to ensure these funds only are spent on transportation projects. SB 1 also mandates the Office of Inspector General to oversee spending and make sure funding is spent efficiently and appropriately. In fact, voters will be asked to vote on a statewide ballot proposition in 2018 to protect the SB1 revenues in the state constitution so Sacramento politicians can’t divert the SB 1 funding for other purposes.
In summary, the revenue provided by SB1 will make a big difference in the maintenance of our streets and roads right here in Cathedral City, which makes it a little easier to smile when paying the additional gas tax.
