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SLO County group drops effort to put transportation tax on ballot

April 30, 2026

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A San Luis Obispo County citizens’ group has halted its effort to get a .5% sales tax measure for transportation projects on the November ballot. The SLO Council of Governments (SLOCOG) could still place the same initiative on the ballot, but it would need a two-thirds vote to pass, rather than a simple majority.

Better Roads for All — SLO County had collected thousands of signatures to place a transportation sales tax measure on the ballot. However, the group announced this week that it was halting its effort due to a petition error that caused signatures it collected to be invalid.

Now, the SLOCOG board has the option to vote to place the sales tax increase on the ballot. But if it does so, a 66.67% vote, rather than just a majority, will be needed in order for the measure to pass.

In 2016, Measure J, a similar transportation tax initiative, failed by less than half of 1%. The .5% sales tax increase received approval from 66.31% of voters, while 33.69% voted against it.

In 2024, SLOCOG had been pushing again for a .5% sales tax measure, but it chose to pause the effort. The agency has yet to indicate what it will do this year.

 


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Better Roads for All Citizen Committee Chair is Jorge Aguilar. Is he the Jorge Aguilar who works for a local engineering firm which works on public works projects? There is also a local design group endorsing the increased tax. Why would these particular private companies advocate for higher taxes? (https://betterroads4allsloco.com/endorsements/) 


(https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/group-abruptly-ends-effort-sales-193453844.html)


Who is behind increasing taxes in the County and why? Who and which organizations will benefit from increasing taxes? Karen, please look into this. 


2

Can someone tell me why SLOCOG is needed, other than taking a big pot of taxpayer money to hand out for projects, of course not before taking a big chuck of that money for them to operate, why can’t our county supervisors do this without the bureaucracy overhead?


9

Because of laws passed way back when, SB45.. .


-1

That maybe be why it was created, and was it a voter passed creation or just by legislation? But now why it is needed other than to siphon limited tax money for its own existence while performing a service our county supervisors and staff could do instead.


2

I don’t believe it was a voter created law. My recollection is it was Sfate Senator Wuentin Koop who pushed it. It was many years ago


0

Seems like many didn’t understand how this one worked. The state gives the county a multiple net positive amount of money for transporatation only IF the origination of a tranporation fund comes from the citizens. All of our neighboring counties-almost all in California, had this initiated by a half cent tax. The county does not receive ANY state money specifically for transportation if its not a fund originated by its citizens. So as an example, since 2016, Santa Barbara County has received $1.2B from the state for transporatation. San Luis Obispo- $0. Thats because the half cent tax failed by 400 some-odd votes back then. So if it were to go through, the state matches..gives MORE than matches, the amount the county would bring in. So, SLO County spends on transporatation from it’s usual sources. All the counties that did this, since 2016 have “earned” hundreds of thousands of state dollars for only transporation-only where they want to spend it. So SLO really missed out, and I think because of many of us being exhausted of these tax increases. But- this one, I get. It’s really too bad- it’s hard to explain quickly on a sign.


-2

How does this personally benefit you? Do you work for a company that will get increased work if a tax passes? Do you work for a government agency that will get more money?


2

While the government buys electric vehicles that undermine road gas taxes, is there ever enough taxes? What a scam on the public to fund waste and preferential treatment. Even with Prop 13, that which created a glut on taxes, due to the inflation, remember the 70’s to today’s million-dollar shacks. Lots of taxes, better wages and super benefits, not to mention the systemic disability retirement cases in state employment. Just saying undeniable facts.


7

I sure would like to see that petition to see the “error that invalidates the signatures” and to know who the proponents are. The endorsers are political figures, some of whom sit on the SLOCOG board, and companies that will apply to build the roads. It raises questions about whether SLOCOG was (illegally) colluding with a so-called citizens initiative that appears to be more of a subsidiary of SLOCOG, it’s board, and elected officials.


24

No more DemoNcrat tax and spend bull.


Vote NO ON ALL BONDS/TAX INCREASES.


Force our elected officials to stay within budget, just like the taxpayer must stay within a household budget.


#WakeUp

#WalkAway


#VoteRepublican2026


31

We could fix a lot of stuff for the cost on one day on the Republican’s latest war…..


Republicans spend just as much, if not more, but just on different things.


-2

Or, we could have waited until Iran dropped nukes on their perceived enemies of islam. That would have been so much cheaper….right?


0

Never met a tax idea that our government didn’t like. Please help me understand why 66.31% of SLO voters want a regressive tax, which is exactly what a sales tax is. Our roads suck because our political leaders choose to spend the money on “other things”. Where’s our SLO DOGE? Maybe, just maybe, I would vote to spend more money on transportation if they added a third lane on the 101 between SLO and Santa Maria.


35

They are already going to add a lane between Santa Maria and Price Canyon – you can see crews out moving the dividing wall out of the way and surveying the bridges.

Rumor has it, if they can stabilize Pismo Rock, they will squeeze a lane in from Price Canyon up to SLO.

Remember, CA lost $30B in EDD fraud in 2020 — enough to repave all 26k miles of highways and roadways in the State or build 500 miles of a new multi-lane highway!

Never vote for a new tax. We pay the highest transportation taxes and fees in the country. They could and should do it with previously allocated funds.

P.s. Herb Morgan, candidate for State Controller, estimates total fraud under Newsom admin is $435 billion – think about the highways, schools, parks, etc that could have been brought up to date while still refunding taxpayer dollars in the $1000s!!


3

Yep, Newsom’s fraud dynasty make Minnesota’s Somali fraud look like chump change.


Don’t worry my CA friends, the feds are soo to be headed out west to clean up Newsom’s shit show fraud free for all!!!!!


5

The increased taxing and increased service fees have to stop. Look at your property tax bill. Look at how much we pay in state taxes. Look at your personal federal income tax. Look at the service fees (e.g., trash pickup) we are charged and how they increase yearly. Then, if you are in a community service district, look at the service fees they are charging. Then the government allows fees (trash pickup) to go up! It’s not just the taxes, it’s the service fees too.


44

those are all very different “pots of money” with different uses and obligations. Keep your head in the sand while other near-by counties collect the lion’s share of grant money available from different sources because they have a transportation tax with a large “pot of money” to seed transportation projects. Every wonder why our roads seem more crowded and in worse shape? you are the reason. Educate yourself


-56

“those are all very different “pots of money””, this may be true but remember what fills these different pots comes from just one pot, the taxpayer, and the more taps into that one pot will drain it quicker.


54

“different pots of money”??? Are you kidding?

…In This State? Come on! Everything is a shell game with Sacramento and the Counties.

We have already Paid for road repair and maintenance. We have already paid for dams that have never been built. Tax and rate payers have given billions that have just disappeared….or moved to another “pot”.

They have been robbing the highway fund for

decades to backfill pension liabilities- hell ,

most grade school children know that.

Funneling money to NGOs run by friends and relatives…..or Unions…you bet!

Congratulations California 49th for roads! Only Alaska with it’s permafrost is worse.

So here’s the plan… kick the can down the road until the roads are so bad that We the People will finally surrender to a mileage tax and yet more surveillance by the state agencies and their contractors in tech.

Highest gas tax in the country is not enough!

They are going to try and wait us out on a

mileage tax.

An then guess what??

The roads Still won’t get fixed! Guaranteed.

Stay salty gang.


40

Nice try, but there are other sources for that seed money, like reallicating county expenditures or cutting costs.


22

Those “pots of money” add up, regardless of their uses. We pay property tax, sales tax, and gas tax to cover roads, government services, etc. I am well educated and know bull when it is put in a text. Do you work for a government agency that is provided with those pots of money and wants more money in your budget? Your attitude is the reason people are angry at the government – constantly pushing to further take money out of taxpayers’ pockets. With text messages (and attitudes) like yours, the taxpayer will NEVER vote for another increased tax. Keep posting to remind us why NOT to support increased taxes.


19

Seems like your head is in the sand. “Transportation tax” money does not actually go to improving the roads in any meaningful sense. It goes to bus and bike schemes that the vast majority of tax payers will never use (and actually make traffic worse) and to pay the ridiculous pensions of county transportation staff


10

Vote NO on any new taxes.


55