SANDAG to consider draft
ordinance for "quality of life" funding

By Joe Naiman
The Alpine Sun

     SAN DIEGO — An amendment to the TransNet sales tax ordinance to allow funding for "quality of life" measures will require support from two-thirds of the county's voters, but the first step was taken July 24 when the San Diego Association of Governments board of directors voted 19-0 to direct SANDAG staff to return with a draft ordinance amendment for consideration by the SANDAG board.
     The draft ordinance amendment could be brought to the SANDAG board as early as September, although the sentiment was to place the measure — which would either increase the TransNet sales tax or divert existing TransNet funding for road projects — on the November 2012 ballot rather than seeking passage in
November 2010.
     "It doesn't seem like we're ready yet," Del Mar mayor Crystal Crawford, who is that city's SANDAG representative, said of necessary support for a measure.
     In addition to the motion to return with a draft ordinance amendment, the SANDAG board also heard an update presentation. A Quality of Life Ad Hoc Steering Committee has been meeting since July 2008, and a public opinion poll was taken in Spring 2009.
     The poll consisted of telephone interviews with 650 likely voters.
     The poll asked respondents about how serious they felt 20 stated problems were. Having sufficient water supplies topped the list, with 39 percent considering the problem extremely serious and 42 percent considering it very serious. "Water is the number 1 issue of concern," said SANDAG representative Jim Wood.
     Next on the list was the condition of the local economy; 69 percent of respondents considered it extremely or very serious. Drought conditions placed third with 66 percent placing that situation in one of the two high-concern categories while the local budget deficit placed fourth at 65 percent and the impact of the state's budget crisis on local services was fifth at 63 percent.
     The top seven issues were all related to water or economic issues; traffic and congestion placed eighth with 53 percent considering that to be extremely or very serious. The lack of good-paying jobs in the region placed ninth with 51 percent expressing high concern, pollution issues took the next three positions, and excessive growth placed 13th with 48 percent expressing strong concern.
     Air pollution ranked 14th at 45 percent, loss of wildlife habitat and loss of natural areas ranked 15th and 16th, global warming placed 17th, loss of open space ranked 18th, and tied for the final two positions at 35 percent were climate change and the loss of sand from local beaches because of erosion.
     The poll also asked about the importance of solutions. Water quality took ten of the top eleven positions with protecting natural areas from illegal trash dumping ranking sixth. Preservation of natural areas and wildlife habitat, increasing mass transit, and replenishing lost beach sand ranked among the least important items.
     National City mayor and SANDAG representative Ron Morrison noted that even water supply issues face scrutiny due to two state bond measures marketed as water supply enhancements. "They did very little for water," said Morrison, who is also National City's representative on the San Diego County Water Authority board. "The majority of this goes for environmental and conservation groups."

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