Voters Want Better Roads and Willing to Pay for Them, to an Extent

Sonoma residents are fed up with the condition of their roads and are willing to pay for some improvements, although they also want the county to allocate more resources to the problem, according to a recent survey conducted by SOSRoads, a local citizens’ group.

The results are based on an online survey of more than 600 people SOSRoads conducted over the past several months. Among the findings:

• 67 percent of respondents support extending Measure M, the quarter-cent sale tax initially passed in 2004 and set to expire in 2025. (But there's a caveat: they want the money to be allocated to local roads, not other infrastructure projects.)
• 57 percent support a $20 annual vehicle tax
• 63 percent support raising the tourist occupancy tax from 9 percent to 12 percent
• 86 percent support returning to spending 9 percent of property taxes on roads compared to the current 3 percent
• But only 28 percent of respondents supported parcel taxes of $300-500 to fund maintenance costs.

All three tax increases would require a two-thirds majority and collectively would add about $7.3 million annually for road maintenance, enough to improve about 15 miles of additional roads per year.

"This survey shows that Sonoma County residents believe county government needs to repair our roads and are willing to pay for it," SOSRoads spokesman Craig Harrison said in a prepared statement, adding that the public needs to see a strong commitment on the issue from the Board of Supervisors.

"SOSroads believes that a long term plan together with a firm commitment to devote substantial general funds to road repair and maintenance will help earn the needed confidence," he said. 

For the complete survey results, visit SOSroads.org