Should the Proposed Santa Clarita Valley Road Tax Be Approved? : FOR: LOU GARASI

Lou Garasi, 55, is a member of the Santa Clarita Joint Powers Authority, the joint Santa Clarita-county agency that would administer taxes raised by Measure P. He lives in Sand Canyon with his wife, Rita, a Santa Clarita planning commissioner. They have two daughters, Carrie, 21, and Jodie, 18.

Q. Why should homeowners pass this tax? Why can’t the state pay for new roads? A. The state is extremely short on funds. A bond issue for roads was defeated in the last election. After the tragic disaster in the San Francisco area, I think it’s only right that the state’s No. 1 priority will be rebuilding the roads in the Bay Area. So our chances of getting any money out of the state at this point are very, very minimal.

Q. How much money is needed for the Santa Clarita Valley’s road needs?

A. The Southern California Assn. of Governments did a study about a year ago and identified that the cost of the roads would be in excess of $340 million in 1988 dollars. The later you build these roads, obviously, the more expensive they become.

Over the last 10 years, congestion has been getting worse and worse in the Santa Clarita Valley. It has gotten to the point where it takes a lot of time just to go from one side of the valley to the other. Congestion is a problem all over Southern California, but in our case, we have a unique problem because a lot of our communities have only a single access.

Q. Why can’t developers pay for all the road improvement in the area?

A. Well, the California Supreme Court held it to be unconstitutional. It is illegal. It was a court decision that established that development cannot be made to pay for 100% of the cost of infrastructure.

Q. During the campaign for cityhood in Santa Clarita two years ago, you and other proponents pledged that cityhood would not create new taxes. Are you reneging on that pledge? A. Our pledge and our estimates were that the city could perform the normal services for the valley at a lower cost than the county. The road problem has been around way before city formation, at least 10 to 15 years. It is such a large problem that there is no city government that could afford to finance the road construction needs that we have.

Q. Who would have to pay this tax?

A. Current residents, businesses, future residents and future businesses. Effectively, the tax district covers the whole William S. Hart High school district. It excludes the community of Val Verde.

Q. How much money would the tax raise overall?

A. The initial estimate will between $45 and $50 million, which would be used immediately on seven road projects. Over the life of the bonds, it could raise as much as $285 million. The sample ballot describes very clearly what the tax rates are, what the projects will be and how this came about.

Q. Will the tax increase when property is sold?

A. No. The dollar amount remains flat for the whole period that the tax is paid.

Q. How long will the tax be in effect? A. This tax is used to retire bond issues. In the state of California, municipal bonds sell for a 25- to 30-year duration. So it would be something in that neighborhood.

Q. Does Measure P apply to people over 65? A. As soon as somebody becomes 65 years of age, they can file an exemption and will no longer have to pay it.

Q. Do developers have to pay anything under this measure? A. Under Measure P, developers would continue to pay builder fees, commonly called bridge and thoroughfare fees, to build roads. We are lobbying both the city and the county to increase those fees as soon as possible.

Q. What are some of the greatest misconceptions about this tax?

A. Probably the greatest one, which is being foisted on us by our opposition, is that if you don’t approve this, maybe somebody else will build roads for us. This is something that we have to do for ourselves, and it is very urgent that we do it now.

Q. The tax money would be administered by Santa Clarita and the county. But isn’t it true that, in some instances, the county will have a greater say in how the money will be spent?

A. The only time that provision will come into effect is in case the departments of Public Works of the city and the county cannot agree on road projects. But in case there is no agreement, the city will still get funds from development occurring in the unincorporated area. I think that is a big advantage to us because we can improve roads within the city using county-generated funds.

Q. The opponents say that Measure P, by building new roads, would encourage yet more growth in the Santa Clarita Valley. A. You know this is probably the most ridiculous statement. We have gone through 20 years of building homes and businesses--and there have been no roads built. Reducing traffic congestion to me does not necessarily induce growth.

Q. What’s at stake in this election? A. The best way to describe it is that we are making a decision: Do we want to become another San Fernando Valley? If you vote no, we are going to see the same thing here that is happening in the San Fernando Valley.

Background

* On Tuesday, voters in the Santa Clarita Valley will decide the fate of Measure P, a $285-million tax initiative to build and improve roads. If passed, the measure would create an assessment district, technically known as a Mello-Roos district, and add between $75 and $200 to annual property tax bills. Mello-Roos refers to state lawmakers who wrote legislation allowing the creation of such districts. The measure requires a two-thirds vote to pass.