FPPC to investigate allegations that county illegally promoted transportation sales tax measure

The California Fair Political Practices Commission will investigate allegations that San Luis Obispo County, a regional transportation planning agency and the committee supporting a half-cent sales tax measure for transportation projects have violated campaign reporting laws.

The Central Coast Taxpayers Association and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which filed the complaint, received a letter Wednesday notifying them their complaint over Measure J would be investigated.

But the FPPC has not made any determination about the validity of the allegations, according to the letter from Galena West, chief of the Enforcement Division.

The Central Coast Taxpayers Association formed a committee to oppose Measure J and wrote the ballot argument against it.

The complaint alleges the county and the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, which proposed the sales tax increase for the ballot, violated the Political Reform Act in part by failing to report spending taxpayer money on promotional materials that advocated support for Measure J.

It alleges they spent more than $225,000 in noncash contributions on salaries for employees and consultants who “participated in joint campaign appearances to advocate for the passage of Measure J, in coordination with the Yes on Measure J Committee” and on promotional materials without disclosing the expenses as campaign expenditures.

If approved by two-thirds of voters, the measure would generate an estimated $25 million a year over nine years, for a total of $225 million.

It would make San Luis Obispo County a “self-help” county with a dedicated funding stream that can only be used on local transportation projects, as opposed to relying on state or federal dollars.

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 4:49 AM with the headline "FPPC to investigate allegations that county illegally promoted transportation sales tax measure."