Spending on outreach considered for Stanislaus transportation tax

Officials on Wednesday will consider spending $450,000 of public money to help people understand a Stanislaus County-wide transportation tax on the November ballot and on associated environmental studies.

In an unrelated meeting, also Wednesday, other officials will learn that price estimates for the future North County Corridor have swelled 27 percent, from $550 million to nearly $700 million.

Voters throughout the county likely will be asked in November to approve higher sales taxes, with half of the proceeds paying to fix neighborhood roads and 28 percent reserved for regional projects such as east-west expressways in the north, center and south parts of the county.

Costs for the North County Corridor, which would skirt Modesto, Riverbank and Oakdale, have gone up because the California Department of Transportation insists on a higher-quality surface called continuously reinforced concrete pavement, and because prices for overpasses and property needed for the freeway have increased, a report says.

The North County Corridor Authority will meet at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the basement chamber at Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St., Modesto. The tax measure will come up at the Stanislaus Council of Governments meeting starting at 6 p.m. on the third floor at 1111 I St., Modesto.

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 3:18 PM with the headline "Spending on outreach considered for Stanislaus transportation tax."