Week in Review : MAJOR EVENTS, IMAGES AND PEOPLE IN ORANGE COUNTY NEWS : COUNTY : Freeway Authority Could Set a Precedent
Orange County’s ballot this November may contain a first for the state and possibly the nation.
It will be a proposal to create an Orange County Freeway Authority. The authority would raise about $25 million a year to build freeway expansions and extensions.
James Roosevelt presented the idea Monday as he stepped down as chairman of the county Transportation Commission. He noted that the Legislature has ignored county requests to shift some sales tax revenue to transportation needs.
“We can take our destiny into our own hands by using a share of the growth in property tax revenues to build new lanes on our existing freeways,” said Roosevelt.
The Freeway Authority would raise money by taxing a property on the amount it has increased in value due to new development or redevelopment.
To get on the ballot in November, the Roosevelt proposal must win the support of the county Board of Supervisors by early August. Three of the five supervisors, however, already have endorsed the idea.
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