SAN CLEMENTE : $92 Assessment Urged to Repair City Roads

A 10-year road rehabilitation program would cost single-family households about $92 a year in property tax assessments under a plan discussed by the City Council.

After painting a bleak picture of the city road system, Public Works Director Mike Sorg told council members Wednesday that the tax should be levied indefinitely to keep streets from falling into disrepair again. Of the 120 miles of public roads, about 60 miles are in poor condition, he said.

“Half of our streets are in bad shape,” said Sorg. “If we do act now, in 10 years we’ll be up to where we’re equivalent to other cities.”

He said the city needs to spend more than $4 million a year to fix its streets.

The proposed assessment would also charge owners of multifamily dwellings about $72 per unit.

Several other public hearing have been scheduled, and the council is not expected to vote on the assessment until August.

The plan angered resident George Moulison, who acknowledged that “the streets need repaving, but an assessment is still a tax. The citizens should vote on this.”

However, former City Treasurer Bob Morris called the program an “opportunity to make an investment in the city’s future.”

Several other people spoke in favor of paying for street rehabilitation, but even those supporting the program asked the council to end the assessment at some point.

Councilman Patrick M. Ahle went a step further, suggesting that the city pay back residents after the street program is completed.

The city could set aside a percentage of any surplus revenue until all taxpayers have their stake in the road program returned, Ahle said.

Mayor Candace Haggard said she was “extremely intrigued” by Ahle’s proposal.

“You have some excellent ideas that we can definitely make use of,” she said.