KING CITY — King City is celebrating the completion of the first “Measure X Project” in Monterey County today, Aug. 9, at 10 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the corner of Vivian Street and Haven Drive, hosted by the Transportation Agency for Monterey County.
King City is the first city in the county to use funds from Measure X — the 3/8-percent sales tax approved by voters last November — to fix local roads by repaving five residential blocks within the city.
“It was a project that was in the pipeline, and the city was finally able to move forward and get it done, knowing that Measure X money was available to help fully fund it,” said Debbie Hale, executive director of the county’s Transportation Agency, in a news release.
Hale said the Transportation Agency was looking forward to more Measure X projects being implemented this fall with other cities and the county.
King City Mayor Mike LeBarre, who also is a member of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County Board of Directors, was pleased that the city seized the opportunity and moved quickly to fix some of the city streets with Measure X funds.
“This is exactly the kind of repair jobs that voters wanted to see done in their communities when they approved Measure X,” LeBarre said, “and now the residents that live on Vivian Street, Haven Drive and Carlson Street are the first to see these improvements, thanks to Measure X.”
LeBarre, Hale and Monterey County District 3 Supervisor Simon Salinas will be the featured speakers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which is open to the public.
The King City project included repaving of Vivian Street, Haven Drive and Carlson Street.
According to City Manager Steve Adams, “These streets were determined to be in the poorest condition in the city and were established as the city’s highest priority street project. Measure X provided the funding needed to move forward.”
Adams said the project is part of an increased effort and plan by the city to increase street improvement projects and establish an annual pavement improvement program.
“Dedicating tax revenues for road improvements is important to address the community’s needs and to maintain safe conditions,” he said. “It is also a good investment because if the city can maintain its streets at an adequate level on an ongoing basis, it can reduce substantial costs for street reconstruction projects in the long-term.”
Measure X is anticipated to generate $20 million annually for 30 years for a total of $600 million. 60 percent of which goes back to the 12 cities and the county for local road repair and maintenance. The remaining 40 percent will be used to fund regional safety and mobility projects.
