Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Should ICE Agents Wear Masks? LA Mayor Bass Says No

6 hours ago

Brother of Army Ranger and NFL Star Pat Tillman Crashes Into Post Office

7 hours ago

Fresno Fire Destroys Vacant Building Near Old Fig Garden

8 hours ago

Nasdaq, S&P 500 Hit Fresh Records as Trade Talks, Tech Earnings in Focus

9 hours ago

At Least 19 Killed, Scores Injured as Bangladesh Air Force Jet Crashes Into College Campus

9 hours ago

Harvard, Trump Administration to Face off in Court Over Canceled Funding

9 hours ago

Ex-Epstein Lawyer Calls for Release of Additional Epstein Materials

1 day ago

Clovis At-Risk Missing Person Found Dead in Fresno Canal

3 days ago
Local Millions on the Line for State Gas Tax
David Taub Website photo 2024
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 8 years ago on
April 5, 2017

Share

The California legislature is scheduled to vote on a dramatic increase to the gasoline tax later this week. Gov. Jerry Brown is pushing hard for the $52 billion tax to help repair roads and other infrastructure. In the past week, he appeared in news conferences in Sacramento and Concord. He has also testified in at least two different committee hearings.

“When it comes to fixing roads that are falling apart, or that bridge down there in Monterey County that can no longer support a car, you got to do it now,” Brown said in a Wednesday (April 5) rally on the Capitol steps. “And if you don’t do it, it gets more expensive next year, and the year after.”

The bill needs 2/3 of both the senate and assembly to pass. It would increase the gasoline tax by $0.12 over three years (six cents in year one; three cents in years two-three). That would raise the current gas taxes from $0.278 to $0.398 per gallon, or a 43% increase. Federal taxes are at $0.184 a gallon. On top of that is the county sales tax, which is currently 7.975% in Fresno.

For diesel, the increase is 20 cents a gallon and a 4% increase on the sales tax (from 1.75% to 5.75%).

Vehicle license fees will also increase. Depending on the value of the vehicle, the fee will go up $25-$175. The state would also charge $100 a year for zero-emission (i.e. electric) cars.

SB 1, authored by Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose) and Asm. Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay), is expected to raise more than $6 billion a year. The law calls for taxes to be re-evaluated every three years. The revenue will be placed in a specific fund for road maintenance and rehabilitation.

Tony Boren, the executive director of the Fresno Council of Governments says money is desperately needed to fix local roads. “We have such a deficit of funding for all our needed road repairs. We have aging transportation infrastructure that hasn’t been addressed appropriately for a number of years. The nature of the beast is that if you don’t address a need early, it gets more and more expensive over time. That is where we are at. If we don’t catch these repairs, right now, it’s just going to get drastically more expensive for the next 8-10 years,” Boren tells GV Wire.

The City of Fresno would benefit. CalTrans estimates the city would receive $119 million over ten years. Clovis would receive $24 million. The county would get its share too, with at least $255 million.

But, motorist GV Wire spoke with don’t care for paying more at the pump.

“I think it’s already been paid for. I don’t think we should be paying it again,” says Philip Williams of Fresno. “We have plenty of gas taxes that we per gallon already. (They) should have the work be done with the money already been applied to it.”

Joe Amader, who works at a Fresno energy company, shared similar thoughts while filling up his car near the airport. “Gas is already expensive. Paying more every time you fuel up hurts your pocket book. Everything is getting more expensive.”

According to the governor’s press office, in a ten year period the money would be spent on:

  • $15 billion for local road repairs
  • $15 billion for highway repairs
  • $7.5 billion to improve public transportation
  • $4 billion for bridge repairs

Also, funding sources include:

  • $7.3 billion by increasing diesel excise tax 20 cents
  • $3.5 billion by increasing diesel sales tax to 5.75 percent
  • $24.4 billion by increasing gasoline excise tax 12 cents
  • $16.3 billion from an annual transportation improvement fee based on a vehicle’s value
  • $200 million from an annual $100 Zero Emission Vehicle fee commencing in 2020.
  • $706 million in General Fund loan repayments.

The bill would also create new levels of accountability and relax some environmental standards for construction, known as CEQA, as Boren explains.

“Let’s say you are doing a guard rail on an existing state highway. Under SB 1, you won’t have to do an environmental review on the guard rail. It makes no sense. That area was environmentally assesses when they first built that highway.”

But that isn’t enough for Republican Valley Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Visalia).  On a Facebook video, Mathis told his constituents, “We have money out there already that you are being charged for that Governor Brown has taken and put into the general fund. If he really wants to fix the roads and take care of you, he will put the money back where you voted for it to go and we’ll take care of you.”

Assemblyman Jim Patterson and Senator Andy Vidak, both Republicans, have also come out against it.

Democrat Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula says he is still studying the issue. Republican Senator Anthony Cannella has indicated conditional support.

A vote is expected Thursday.

[This story has been updated (April 5, 4:21p) to include a CalTrans link (above) regarding funding breakdown by area and the video below]:

The Fresno Chamber of Commerce released this video on their position against SB 1:

Contact David Taub

Phone: 559-492-4037 / e-mail

This story was not subject to the approval of Granville Homes.

 

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno County DUI Crash Kills Elderly Driver in Parked Car, Suspect Booked for Manslaughter

DON'T MISS

US Judge Sentences Ex-Police Officer to 33 Months for Violating Civil Rights of Breonna Taylor

DON'T MISS

WHO Says Israeli Military Attacked Staff Residence in Gaza

DON'T MISS

Iranian Foreign Minister Says Iran Cannot Give up on Nuclear Enrichment

DON'T MISS

RIP, Don Larson, 91: A Community Giant Who Brought Truth to Fresno Politics

DON'T MISS

Madera Teen Arrested for DUI After Passenger Killed in Crash, CHP Says

DON'T MISS

UK, France and 23 Other Nations Condemn Israel Over ‘Inhumane Killing’ of Civilians

DON'T MISS

Judge Overturns NW Fresno Costco Approval, Cites Flawed Environmental Review

DON'T MISS

Don See, Navy Veteran and Beloved Family Man, Dies at 91

DON'T MISS

I’m Not Leaving Measure C and COG Can’t Make Me: Brooke Ashjian

UP NEXT

RIP, Don Larson, 91: A Community Giant Who Brought Truth to Fresno Politics

UP NEXT

Madera Teen Arrested for DUI After Passenger Killed in Crash, CHP Says

UP NEXT

Don See, Navy Veteran and Beloved Family Man, Dies at 91

UP NEXT

I’m Not Leaving Measure C and COG Can’t Make Me: Brooke Ashjian

UP NEXT

Should ICE Agents Wear Masks? LA Mayor Bass Says No

UP NEXT

Brother of Army Ranger and NFL Star Pat Tillman Crashes Into Post Office

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Martin Raymond Caparida

UP NEXT

How Will KVPR and Valley PBS Deal With Loss of Federal Funding?

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Make DUI Arrest, Issue 144 Citations in Safety Crackdown

UP NEXT

Fresno Fire Destroys Vacant Building Near Old Fig Garden

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
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

Iranian Foreign Minister Says Iran Cannot Give up on Nuclear Enrichment

1 hour ago

RIP, Don Larson, 91: A Community Giant Who Brought Truth to Fresno Politics

2 hours ago

Madera Teen Arrested for DUI After Passenger Killed in Crash, CHP Says

3 hours ago

UK, France and 23 Other Nations Condemn Israel Over ‘Inhumane Killing’ of Civilians

3 hours ago

Judge Overturns NW Fresno Costco Approval, Cites Flawed Environmental Review

3 hours ago

Don See, Navy Veteran and Beloved Family Man, Dies at 91

4 hours ago

I’m Not Leaving Measure C and COG Can’t Make Me: Brooke Ashjian

4 hours ago

Marines Ending Los Angeles Deployment, Pentagon Says

4 hours ago

‘Cosby Show’ Star Malcolm-Jamal Warner Dies at 54, Media Reports Say

5 hours ago

US Retail Giant Costco to Set up Global Capability Center in India, to Employ 1000 People, Sources Say

5 hours ago

Fresno County DUI Crash Kills Elderly Driver in Parked Car, Suspect Booked for Manslaughter

A man was arrested on suspicion of DUI after a crash that killed an 89-year-old driver Saturday afternoon near Sanger, authorities said. Acc...

7 minutes ago

fresno
7 minutes ago

Fresno County DUI Crash Kills Elderly Driver in Parked Car, Suspect Booked for Manslaughter

Breonna Taylor’s art is seen in Jefferson Square after the announcement that the FBI arrested and brought civil rights charges against four current and former Louisville police officers for their roles in the 2020 fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor, in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., August 4, 2022. (Reuters/Amira Karaoud)
29 minutes ago

US Judge Sentences Ex-Police Officer to 33 Months for Violating Civil Rights of Breonna Taylor

The World Health Organization logo is pictured at the entrance of the WHO building, in Geneva, Switzerland, December 20, 2021. (Reuters File)
42 minutes ago

WHO Says Israeli Military Attacked Staff Residence in Gaza

Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, attends the opening meeting of BRICS Summit, at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil July 6, 2025. (Reuters File)
1 hour ago

Iranian Foreign Minister Says Iran Cannot Give up on Nuclear Enrichment

Obituary Photo for Don Larson of Fresno
2 hours ago

RIP, Don Larson, 91: A Community Giant Who Brought Truth to Fresno Politics

A 19-year-old Madera man was arrested for felony DUI after a high-speed crash Sunday, July 21, 2025, night that killed his 20-year-old passenger, according to the California Highway Patrol. (CHP)
3 hours ago

Madera Teen Arrested for DUI After Passenger Killed in Crash, CHP Says

Smoke rises during Israeli strikes amid the Israeli military operation in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, July 21, 2025. (Reuters/Hatem Khaled)
3 hours ago

UK, France and 23 Other Nations Condemn Israel Over ‘Inhumane Killing’ of Civilians

Costco Wholesale Building
3 hours ago

Judge Overturns NW Fresno Costco Approval, Cites Flawed Environmental Review

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend