By TR Robertson
The first in-person Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee meeting was held in the Chamber Offices in more than a year. Zoom was also available for those that could not make the in-person meeting. The main presentation on the agenda was by Ben Mills, Deputy Chief of Staff for Supervisor Jim Desmond, concerning the proposed taxes on drivers and their vehicles traveling local and state roadways. Ben thoroughly outlined what has happened to the various road and interchange projects and SANDAG’s proposal to raise funds for various projects relating to increasing public transportation use. SANDAG is the Metropolitan planning organization for our region’s transportation. They update the various Regional Plans every 5 years.
SANDAG’s latest proposal would include dropping the current plan which means a variety of plans, such as the Highway 5 and Highway 78 connector and the proposed HOV lane addition to the merge from Highway 15 to Highway 78, would be dropped. What most people do not understand, Mills stated, is that the ½ cent sales tax every person pays when they purchase items and are charged sales tax, would still be in effect until 2048, money that was supposed to go to fund these projects, but will now be dropped with no improvements. Under SANDAG’s proposal, their intent is to pay for programs and public transportation to get people to reduce vehicle mileage by 15%. Currently only 3% of the people use public transportation and that number does not seem to be going up. Under the proposed SANDAG plan, 90% of the public would pay for what only around 10% of the public would use. Fifty-one cents per gallon of gas is to go towards improving roads, but that does not seem the case.
The SANDAG plan would include the local sales tax, MTS tax, and a state road user fee of 2.3 cents per mile that each driver drives. This could also be raised ½ a cent annually. An additional local road fee of two cents per mile could also be accessed as well as additional ride hailing fees for the various Uber and other drivers. Supervisor Jim Desmond is opposed to any additional tax or fee increases of any kind. One concern is the AB 805 allows a weighted vote to pass any proposal regarding these taxes and fees and large cities like San Diego and Chula Vista could vote together and carry the vote on the proposal. The tax measures will more than likely be on the Presidential ballot in the coming years, meanwhile road improvements will not be proceeding as originally expected.
Catherine Magana reported on several of the Job Killer Bills – AB 616 – Agricultural Labor Relations and Labor Representation Elections has reached a second reading; AB 1003 – Grand Theft Designation for Intentional Wage Theft has been amended and moving on in process; AB 1041 – Expands Employment Leave Definition has also been amended and is in committee.
Kristal Jabara from Supervisor Jim Desmond’s Office – The Supervisor is in line to be on a coalition to help find a storage facility for the spent nuclear fuel generated from the San Onofre Nuclear facility. Cities around the county are beginning to look at and evaluate the various pop-up outdoor eating facilities built during the COVID pandemic. The County COVID weekly reporting update is a good means of looking at the COVID #’s and the overall effect the pandemic is having. Eighty-five percent of people over sixty-five have been vaccinated. The biggest concern is in the 25–40-year-old range of increasing vaccinations.
Matthew Phy from State Senator Patricia Bates Office – the legislature is still on summer break until August 16. Their office is still dealing with unemployment issues and DMV cases.
Bret Schanzenbach, CEO of Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce – Carlsbad State of the Community will be on August 20th from 11:30 – 1, registration available on the Chamber web site. Speakers will include Mayor Matt Hall and presentations by TaylorMade, ViaSat and JLabs personnel. In person and Zoom meetings have returned for Chamber committees. Estimated attendance at the recent Carlsbad Village Faire was 120,000. Next Carlsbad Village Faire will be the 1st Sunday in November.
The Carlsbad City Council is pursuing the appointment process to replace City Council Member Cori Schumacher who resigned. Applicants have until 5 pm August 11 to file applications. The Carlsbad City Clerk is retiring. Housing element updates and homeless efforts concerning the city will be discussed at upcoming council meetings.
The next Carlsbad Government Affairs meeting will be Sept. 1 at 7:30 am in-person and via Zoom.
