FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2016
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Joel Zlotnik (714) 560-5713, Eric Carpenter (714) 560-5697
Annual Measure M Public Hearing Set for Tuesday
Taxpayer Oversight Committee oversees use of half-cent sales tax that is driving force behind local transportation improvements
ORANGE – The Measure M Taxpayer Oversight Committee is conducting its 25th annual public hearing on Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements on Tuesday, April 12.
Measure M, administered by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), was approved by voters in 1990 and renewed by a vote of nearly 70 percent in 2006. Each year, the committee seeks public input on how funds are being spent.
The public hearing is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday at OCTA headquarters, 600 S. Main St. in Orange. During the hearing, members of the public will be able to provide comments about Measure M projects.
The independent, 11-member oversight committee was formed to monitor OCTA’s use of Measure M funding, approve changes to the Measure M plan and hold an annual public hearing on how Measure M dollars are spent.
For more than 20 years, Measure M has been the major force behind traffic congestion relief in Orange County. The original Measure M made possible more than $4 billion worth of transportation improvements through 2011, and, with the renewal through 2041, M is expected to generate another $14.8 billon to keep Orange County moving.
Hundreds of local projects that impact residents on a daily basis have been completed. These include improvements to every freeway, widened streets, synchronized traffic signals and improved intersections. Measure M also made possible Metrolink commuter-rail service in Orange County.
For those interested in serving on the oversight committee, recruitment began in March. Orange County residents over age 18 living in the First, Third, Fourth and Fifth Supervisorial Districts are eligible to apply for a three-year term. Potential committee members should demonstrate a history of participating in community activities, ideally with an emphasis on transportation. The Grand Jurors Association of Orange County conducts the recruitment program and recommends qualified candidates for membership.
For more information about Measure M or the Taxpayer Oversight Committee, visit octa.net/TOC.
To provide comments about Measure M, go to octa.net/TOC_MPublicHearing.
# # #