Countywide half-cent transportation sales tax measure
Summary
The council endorsed a proposed 0.5% sales tax for the November 2026 ballot that would raise about $35 million a year for roads, highway corridors, and senior/disabled mobility. SLO County is one of the few California counties without such a tax, costing it hundreds of millions in state and federal matching funds.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 2
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Mar 17, 2026.
Impact analysis
Would raise about $35 million per year countywide — roughly $1 billion over 30 years — with about $19 million annually going to local road repairs across jurisdictions.
Every jurisdiction in the county gets road repair money; drivers, seniors, disabled residents, and anyone using local streets and highways benefit from repairs and improvements.
Shoppers pay a slightly higher sales tax on non-exempt goods, though groceries, housing, utilities, and prescriptions are exempt.
Mentions & discussions (2)
City Council
The council endorsed a proposed 0.5% sales tax for the November 2026 ballot that would raise about $35 million a year for roads, highway corridors, and senior/disabled mobility. SLO County is one of the few California counties without such a tax, costing it hundreds of millions in state and federal matching funds.
City Council
SLOCOG wants a 30-year half-cent sales tax on the November ballot to fix roads countywide — the city would get about $3.2 million a year and the county could finally leverage state and federal matching grants it has missed out on since 2016.
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
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