Spending San Mateo County Measure A 1/2 cent tax revenue, going, going gone

Never enough money for everything on our wish list.

Palo Alto Daily News/Peninsula/Bonnie Eslinger, Staff, 4/19/13.  "San Mateo County may spend $5 million-plus of Measure A funds for parks."

Doesn't all this open space just make your heart pitter-patter?

"San Mateo County may spend more than $5 million of new sales tax revenue from Measure A to hire seven park employees and improve parks. County Manager John Maltbie on Tuesday will ask the Board of Supervisors to approve the expense for the 2013-14 fiscal year, which begins July 1.   ....  Two of the rangers would be assigned to a planned new county park at the Devil's Slide section of Highway 1 that was closed after a bypass tunnel opened several weeks ago. The total cost for the new park positions and associated operating expenses would be $1,066,208, the memo states.

Maltbie also recommends spending $700,000 for park maintenance work that was deferred in recent years.  In addition, he recommends spending $3.5 million for some of $20 million worth of needed park improvements. Specific, high-priority projects would be presented to the board later, according to Maltbie's memo.

....  "Keeping parks open" was written on a list of "critical facilities/services" that Measure A assured voters would be protected if they approve a half-cent sales tax. The tax hike, which went into effect April 1, is projected to generate $60 million or more annually over the next 10 years.

But numerous other priorities also were pitched to voters, and in the coming months the board is expected to consider 27 of them during separate public hearings for each.  The list includes an East Palo Alto library remodel, preschool initiatives, school police officers, homework programs, mental health services, a subsidy for SamTrans, veterans support, technology infrastructure, re-entry help for released inmates, reduction of the county's unfunded pension liability and a subsidy to help Seton Medical Center rebuild its hospital."   Read article.

Related -  Devil's Slide Coast.  "Devil's Slide Coast is an 8,900-acre network of publicly accessible lands located between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay.  Explore diverse landscapes including dramatic ridgelines, bluffs, beaches, tidepools, historic sites and crucial ocean habitats.  .... With the opening of the Devil’s Slide Tunnel on March 26th, on scenic Highway 1, this portion of the Coast will be accessible in new and exciting ways, offering opportunities for hiking on more than 11 miles of California Coastal Trail, horseback riding, cycling, surfing, fishing or simply viewing from one of many scenic overlooks. The wonders of Devil’s Slide Coast represent a collaboration among conservation agencies, nonprofit organizations, and local groups that have worked to protect this precious coastal resource and make it available for all to enjoy. ....  Sunday, May 5, 2013 – 10am – 2pm Streets Alive! Parks Alive! Quarry Park. Visit Streets Alive for more information."  The photograph from this website.

Posted by Kathy Meeh