Benicia voters appear to have passed a measure to increase the city’s sales tax to fund road infrastructure needs.
Measure F was approved by 61 percent of voters, according to unofficial results on the Solano County Registrar of Voters website. The measure would increase the retail sales tax in Benicia by a half-cent and the city said the money would go exclusively for repairing the city’s streets, potholes and sidewalks.
Voters in Benicia already raised its sales tax in March to 9.125% of the purchase price of an item.
Measure F is a special tax but only needed majority approval because it was a citizens’ initiative rather than a measure placed on the ballot by the city that would have required two-thirds approval. Proponents said it is expected to raise about $4 million per year.
City officials said Benicia currently only receives about $1 million annually for road maintenance from gas tax and garbage truck impact fees.
“With Measure F, Benicia chose to invest in the safety and quality of our streets. This measure allows us to tackle the longstanding issue of underfunded road infrastructure and make progress in fixing our roads.” City Manager Mario Giuliani
An annual report card on the Bay Area’s local roads and streets released last month by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission found that Benicia had a Pavement Condition Index three-year average score of 54, tied for the ninth-worst score of any city or unincorporated county area in the region.
The Yes on Measure F argument sent to voters said that Benicia has a “significant” road repair backlog of over $60 million.
“Benicia residents have once again chosen to invest in themselves,” City Manager Mario Giuliani said in statement. “With Measure F, Benicia chose to invest in the safety and quality of our streets. This measure allows us to tackle the longstanding issue of underfunded road infrastructure and make progress in fixing our roads.”
Opponents of the measure had called it “fatally and legally flawed,” according to the Vote No on Measure F information sent to voters.
Michael Nolan, president of the Solano County Taxpayers Association, and Benicia residents Christopher Shenfield and Devin Versace opposed the measure and pointed out that sales taxes were already raised this year.
Although Measure F is expected to go into effect in April 2025, Guiliani said it will take some time for enough money to accumulate to really make an impact.
Measure F will have oversight from two separate citizen oversight committees; one new city committee called the Local Tax Oversight Board and one independent committee solely run by Benicia residents, the city said.
Alongside Measure F, Benicia voters considered two other ballot measures designed to impact infrastructure: Measure G, which proposed adopting a city charter to become a charter city; and Measure H, which would have implemented a real property transfer tax. Both do not appear to have passed.
“The limited charter city and real property tax were designed to support city services and address infrastructure needs,” said Giuliani. “Those challenges still remain. As a city we will continue to look for methods to expand our economy, seek new ways for the community to invest in themselves and, where necessary, reduce services and programs.”
In March, Guiliani said the city is facing an ongoing deficit. In 2023, the city began consolidating some departments to shave off about $1 million in costs. At the time, the city manager said the city was grappling with a shortfall of between $6 million and $9 million per year.
