Chula Vista Begins First Half-Cent Sales Tax Projects

Chula Vista residents will soon begin to see the road improvements they voted for come around. The half-cent sales tax, which will raise funding for infrastructure and public safety projects, was approved by nearly 70 percent of Chula Vista voters last November. 
 
Although the additional sales tax will not start being collected until April, the Chula Vista City Council approved $3.2 million to start the first projects to be funded under Measure P.   
 
The first project, the repaving of Floyd Avenue and Berland in Chula Vista, got underway this week. During the project’s groundbreaking, Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas reiterated that the funds raised would be used for additional infrastructure projects, including public building improvements and repairing sports fields and recreational facilities. 
 
“The people of Chula vista will begin to see results very quickly in repairing infrastructure throughout the city; we will be working on some very large projects,” said the Mayor during the Groundbreaking Ceremony. 
 
The 10-year measure will increase sales tax to 8.25 percent, with the additional half-cent going to a special fund. The City estimates that this increase will raise close to $180 million over its lifetime, which will be used to improve streets, sidewalks, storm drains to prevent potholes, and strengthen other City services. 
 
Karen Saunders, a Floyd Avenue resident for more than 15 years, shared that she voted in favor of the Measure because she feels it is important to invest in neighborhoods. “We all use the streets, it’s not just one person, so it’s better if we all cooperate to fix what’s ours,” she said. 
 
“For as long as I’ve lived here it had never been fixed; this is the first time it’s getting repaired, and when it rains it causes many potholes, and since there’s a lot of traffic because of the school that’s up here, it makes it very difficult.” 
The initial budget will enable the construction of two new Fire stations, purchasing new fire and police vehicles, and modernizing the City’s dispatch system. 
 
Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy informed that these funds will allow them to purchase 32 new patrol cars over the next 18 months, as well as equip officers with new body-worn cameras to have greater transparency with the community. Officers will also be equipped with new radios and Tasers, a non-lethal public safety tool.
 
“Everyone will have the equipment they need to go out in Chula Vista and make sure we continue to keep the community safe and be capable of responding quickly,” said the Police Chief. 
 
All of the projects to be funded through the half-cent sales tax increase will be posted on the City of Chula Vista website.

Author

Alexandra Mendoza