Jail Construction, Road Improvements Are Goals : County Sales Tax Hike Measures Headed for Ballot

Legislation that could enable San Diego County voters to increase the sales tax half a cent on the dollar to pay for new jails and courthouse buildings was approved Thursday by both houses of the Legislature.

The bill, by Assemblyman Bill Bradley (R-San Marcos), permits the county Board of Supervisors to place the issue on the ballot in November or later.

With the approval of two-thirds of the voters, such a measure would increase the sales tax from 6 cents to 6.5 cents on the dollar. The increase would raise as much as $420 million over five years. After five years, or sooner if the money has been raised, the sales tax would revert to 6%.

The county wants the money to relieve chronic overcrowding in its jails and courtrooms. County officials say a shortage of jail beds has made it easier for criminal suspects to be released before going to trial, and a lack of courtrooms has slowed the handling of both criminal and civil cases.

The legislation, AB 3339, was approved 35-0 in the Senate and 68-0 by the Assembly and sent to Gov. George Deukmejian. But the routine final votes were no indication of the level of political maneuvering that accompanied the issue.

The bill in its final form, Bradley said, was “not to my liking, but it was the best I could negotiate.”

County supervisors had first asked for permission to place the issue on the June 3 ballot, but that move was blocked in committee last week by Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-Chula Vista). Peace said he thought the county’s measure would conflict with a state bond issue for jail construction funds on the same ballot.

Instead, Peace agreed to a compromise measure that allowed the county to put the issue on the November ballot. Later, the bill was amended to permit the election to take place in November or at any later date.

The final change was made on the Senate floor Thursday to enable the county to hold a special election after November because another sales tax measure is already headed for the same ballot.

The other measure, sponsored by the San Diego Assn. of Governments, would increase the sales tax a half-cent a year for 20 years to raise money for an expansion of the San Diego Trolley as well as work on local roads and highways.

Peace said Thursday that local politicians will have to get together now and decide whether it is wise to place both measures on the November ballot. A special election for either issue would cost a minimum of $750,000, and the next regularly scheduled countywide election will not be held until June, 1988.

“Now there’s a fair chance for the local officials to sit down and decide what their priorities are,” Peace said. “I think the city council members (who support the transit measure) have not entered into debate over the importance of the jail issue and now they will. They must.”

County supervisors, who have yet to take a position on the bill in its final form, are expected to take up the issue again on April 1.

Supervisor Paul Eckert, chairman of the board, has said he would favor a special election, perhaps in April, 1987, on the jails issue rather than competing with the transit tax on the November ballot. Supervisor George Bailey, who spearheaded the drive for a sales tax hike, has been in Hawaii on vacation for the past week. His chief aide, Diane Jacob, said she was “frustrated” by the Legislature’s failure to grant permission for a June election. But she said Bailey will consider what other date would be best upon his return.