SDCTA Supports Proposition 22 - Local Taxpayer, Public Safety, and Transportation Protection Act, 2010
On more than one occasion, the State has borrowed from local governments as a means to resolve its own budget problems. Retaining this option may be preventing the State from pursuing serious budgetary reform. The State has capitalized on loopholes within many voter-approved propositions that were intended to guarantee a stream of funding to local governments. For this reason, local governments have had to divert funds from other sources to make up for losses in anticipated revenue from the State. SDCTA supports this measure as it ensures that funds approved by voters for local government purposes go to local governments and are not diverted to State obligations. SDCTA supported both Propositions 111 (1990) and 42 (2002), which were intended to provide a revenue stream to local government for transportation projects. Our rationale for supporting Proposition 42 was as follows: "The original intent of the sales tax on gasoline was to go directly to transportation. Through the years, it has been directed to the General Fund and used for various purposes. This measure would guarantee the monies collected from gasoline tax would go specifically for transportation purposes."