Modesto looks to limit transportation tax committee

The Modesto City Council on Tuesday could limit the authority of a commission charged with overseeing how a transportation sales tax is spent.

This comes after some council members said at the council’s Aug. 14 meeting that the Citizens’ Transportation Sales Tax Commission has overstepped its authority and was acting as a policymaker, a role reserved for the City Council.

But Commission Chairman Dave Thomas has said the council members’ criticism was not accurate.

The council created the commission in 2016, and it is charged with overseeing how Modesto spends its share of Measure L funds. Voters countywide approved the half-cent transportation sales tax in November 2016.

The council Tuesday will consider repealing the ordinance that established the commission and replace it with an ordinance that reduces the commission’s duties to mirror those of the Stanislaus Council of Government’s Measure L oversight committee.

That means the commission would review annually an independent audit of Measure L expenditures and issue a report on whether those expenditures comply with StanCOG’s Measure L expenditure plan, and provide oversight of the proper use of Measure L funds as established by the StanCOG expenditure plan.

The council also will consider temporarily suspending the committee’s meetings and activities.

The council voted 5-2 on Aug. 14 to have staff bring back a revised ordinance and commission bylaws for their approval. Mayor Ted Brandvold and Councilman Tony Madrigal cast the two “no” votes.

The council meets at 5:30 p.m. in the basement chambers at Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St.

This story was originally published September 3, 2018 at 3:08 PM.