Published
2 months agoon
A Fresno legislator wants to expand the board that controls a large slice of county transportation funding.
Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, says the Fresno County Transportation Authority board needs to add four new members representing specific groups.
One of the main tasks of FCTA is to manage Measure C, the Fresno County transportation sales tax that expires in 2027.
“The lived experiences of underserved communities in the County of Fresno are often times overlooked and it is imperative that community input, diverse backgrounds, and diverse ideas are reflected on the board of the Fresno County Transportation Authority,” Arambula wrote as part of the bill, AB 558.
One goal, the bill says is to “transform restorative environmental justice and climate policy.”
The bill has its skeptics.
“Right off the bat, it looks like the goal of ‘packing’ the county transportation authority with people who may or may or not be friendly to local business might turn out to be a bad idea,” Clint Olivier, CEO of Central Valley BizFed said.
County voters rejected a 30-year Measure C renewal last year, following opposition from several social and environmental justice groups. While the extension of the half-cent sales tax received 58% of the vote, it needed two-thirds to pass. Measure C supporters say they will ask voters again, although details are still being worked out.
Watch: GV Wire’s Bill McEwen Discusses Arambula Bill With KMPH
This would be the third government agency that Arambula wants to reform. Bills have already been signed into law that added members to the San Joaquin River Conservancy Board, and created a independent commission for Fresno County redistricting.
The bill is a “gut and amend” piece of legislation. Arambula introduced AB 558 on Feb. 8 with a one-paragraph placeholder statement about the state budget. He then completely changed the language and reintroduced the legislation on March 23.
The bill is assigned to the Assembly local government committee. It does not yet have a scheduled hearing.
The nine-member FCTA board currently consists of:
Arambula’s AB 558 would add four new members:
Here are the current members of the FCTA board (and what group each represents):
Since this story published, FCTA updated its website to indicate there are no vacancies on the board
The rules on FCTA board selection were established in the 2006 Measure C renewal by voters.
Arambula’s bill also mandates that any FCTA project must pay general prevailing wages and adhere to environmental codes.
Transportation authorities for other counties of similar size to Fresno do not have the same type of membership makeup.
The Sacramento Transportation Authority — established by a 1988 county measure — has 16 members, all from elected bodies in the county. There are no public members or any position that represents a specific constituency.
The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (Bay Area) consists of 11 members, all from other elected bodies from the county Board of Supervisors or cities within the county.
Locally, the Madera County Transportation Commission Board has six members drawn from the city of Madera and county Board of Supervisors.
The Tulare County Transportation Authority is run through the regional Tulare County Association of Governments. Its board is made up of a collection of publicly elected members throughout the county.
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email
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