On the November 5 ballot is an $18 million bond to fund road maintenance and repairs in Fairfax.
The City Council voted unanimously to put the bill before voters at its meeting Wednesday. The measure would impose a property tax of $30 per $100,000 of assessed value, which would generate estimated revenue of $1.2 million per year.
Council member Bruce Ackerman expressed his support for the measure, pointing out that not all interest would have to be paid up front.
“If the bond measure passes — if it passes, which I hope — there wouldn’t normally be $18 million borrowed right away,” Ackerman said. “We can’t spend $18 million right away. There aren’t enough bulldozers.”
The council also voted to have two members, Chance Cutrano and Lisel Blash, write an election argument on its behalf.
“I think it’s stronger when it comes from the whole council,” Cutrano said.
The tax would start in the 2025/26 financial year and end in the 2057/58 financial year. The measure also provides for the establishment of a supervisory committee and a special audit of the bond funds.
“There have been some questions about the controls that are designed to ensure these bonds are used appropriately if voters approve them,” said City Administrator Heather Abrams.
Fairfax ranks lowest in the county on the Pavement Condition Index (PCI), which assesses the severity and extent of road damage. The city has a PCI of 52 — considered “at risk” — and ranks 98th out of 109 Bay Area communities that monitor road conditions, according to Joe Ririe, a city consultant. The city’s PCI is expected to drop to 46 over the next five years.
The city is embarking on a five-year, $2.5 million plan to rehabilitate some downtown streets before the bond issue potentially passes. The city has allocated about $500,000 each year starting this fiscal year.
The five-year plan covers 18% of city streets. The bond measure would cover another 23%. Together, they would cover about 1.3 million square feet of pavement.
The bond-funded plan focuses on major routes through the city, including Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Bolinas Road, Center Boulevard, Broadway, Laurel Drive, Scenic Road, Willow Avenue and Porteous Avenue.
The bond bill requires a two-thirds majority to pass, but with the passage of ACA-1, a state ballot bill to lower the voter threshold for general obligation bonds and special taxes for affordable housing and infrastructure projects, the approval rate could be as high as 55%.
The city has pushed forward with the bond measure despite a poll showing support from less than two-thirds of respondents. The poll found that 61% of respondents would support a 30-year, $36 million bond, while 64% would support an $18 million bond.
The last street bond, Measure K, was passed in 1999. Bonds were issued in 2000, 2002, and 2006. Measure K had an estimated maximum tax rate of $58 per $100,000 of assessed value. The current rate is $22.50 per $100,000 of assessed value.
In the 2020-21 fiscal year, the budget for road repairs was $140,000. This year it is $1 million.
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