County has to fill a big funding pothole

• Countywide Guardrail UpgradesPhase 2 ($999,990);

• Byron Highway Safety Improvements ($1,316,520);

By Chris Campos Staff Writer

REGIONAL The county’s backlog of maintenance for roads, flood control and parks has grown to a point that without more money, disaster awaits Contra Costa residents, according to the Public Works Department.

Brian Balbas, the public works director, told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday that he has a lot of holes to fill and not enough money in the form of taxes, fees or grants, to do it.

Although the federal government passed a $1.2 trillion package called the Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Bill in November 2021, the pot of money comes with some strings attached, mostly requiring local matching funds. The legislation includes around $550 billion in new federal investment in America’s roads and bridges, water infrastructure, resilience, internet, and more. About $16 billion of that funding is allocated to California’s coffers.

John Goia, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said Tuesday “It would be called malfeasance if we failed to find the matching funds” for this one-time opportunity of federal funding.

Balbas’ report stated, “The budget challenges continue and have been magnified by inflation, hard caps on revenue streams, vot- ing threshold requirements, pandemic impacts, a focus of government grant programs on capital improvements instead of maintenance and operations funding, and the general reluctance to increase taxes or fees to pay for necessary capital improvements, maintenance and services. In an effort to address or temporarily mitigate the budget shortfalls in these programs, the Public Works Department has implemented short-term solutions that in some cases are not sustainable.

The purpose of this presentation is to inform the Board of Supervisors of the ongoing budget challenges facing the Public Works Department, circumstances that led to the challenges, actions taken to mitigate the challenges, and request direction from the Board of Supervisors on possible long-term solutions.”

Balbas went on to describe a series of “unfortunate events” that affected county plans to maintain or improve local roads. Construction costs rose 23 percent from projections made in 2018. Several county roads were damaged by the storms of 2017 such as Alhambra Valley Road, Bear Creek Road, Morgan Territory Road, and Happy Valley Road. In 2023, the county just completed the final restoration work with a final cost of $20.4 million.Then the pandemic struck in 2020 and gas tax revenues plummeted as quarantine protocols restricted commute and other travel patterns. Supply chain crises added further complications and construction costs took another 30% jump from 2017 to 2022, according to Public Works figures.

Other local county projects applying for federal funding totaling $6,768,925, but lacking matching funds include:

• Vasco Road Safety Improvements ($715,050);

• Deer Valley Road Traffic Safety Improvements ($1,125,810)

• Pacifica Avenue Safe Routes to School in Bay Point ($3,902,000)

But potholes aren’t the only area where the county’s budget comes up short. Flood control infrastructure needs “a system built in the 1950s and 1960s” as Balbas characterized it, is in great need of maintenance. However, the county collects little in property taxes from underfunded flood zone districts. That unfunded backlog has reached $18.5 million, according to Allison Knapp, the Public Works deputy director.

Another shortage building up lay with Special Districts. The county’s public facilities managed by Special Districts include a diverse array of items, including trails, community landscapes and parkways, parks, a potable water supply well, pedestrian bridges, a transit line, and community centers. These special districts serve various unincorporated communities in Contra Costa County. Contra Costa County has never established a parks department.

After outlining his funding woes, Balbas offered the Board of Supervisors a list of potential long-term solutions:

• Pursue tax measures to provide local match and maintenance funds

• Support state amendment to Proposition 218 to include flood control

• Support legislation to provide local match funds

• Support legislation to reduce voter threshold to 50% (still significant challenges would remain)

• Partnerships on projects with non-profit organizations to increase grant success