The State - News from July 9, 1989

On the eve of a critical vote to place a proposed half-cent sales tax increase for transportation projects on Orange County’s November ballot, a Times Poll shows local voters almost evenly divided, with support slipping. Asked how they would vote on a ballot measure to raise the county sales tax from 6% to 6 1/2%, 48% of the respondents said they would favor it, 46% opposed it and 6% were unsure. Support was at 54% last summer. The Orange County Transportation Commission is expected to vote Monday to call a Nov. 7 special election on the sales tax question, partly to avoid having the county tax measure appear on the same ballot in June with Gov. George Deukmejian’s proposed statewide gasoline tax hike. The proposed tax would raise $3.1 billion for an $11.5-billion, 20-year traffic improvement and growth management plan. The remaining $8.4 billion would come from the state and federal governments.