Council tables endorsement of county 1% transportation sales-tax after city-priority concerns

Lancaster councilors voted to table consideration of Resolution 24-13, which would endorse a proposed countywide 1% transportation sales tax and forward a city-curated list of projects to the county Transportation Commission.

Council member (S3) introduced the resolution and Staff/Presenter (S2/S4) described the map of candidate projects: orange lines show roads recommended to the CTC, blue lines indicate projects previously approved, and green lines indicate contracts already under way. The presenter said the list includes city, county and state roads and that the CTC will evaluate and prioritize projects for funding.

Council members repeatedly questioned which roads on the list are city-owned, how priorities were set (severity versus traffic), and whether the CTC would prioritize projects located outside the city even though much of the sales tax would be collected in Lancaster. One councilor noted the proposed tax would run for two decades and expressed concern that roads at the bottom of the prioritized list could wait 15–20 years for funding.

"If we only get one road, which is even though they want to raise 40% of the funds from just the city, we're just going to get one road. We want it to be the worst one we have," one council member said during the debate (attributed to Council member (S3)). Staff (S2) acknowledged the CTC will make recommendations and that the county council and referendum process determine final adoption.

Faced with lingering questions about whether city businesses and residents would see commensurate benefits, Council member Hood moved to table the item to allow more time to negotiate priorities and gather details; the motion was seconded and carried by roll call. The clerk (S5) polled council members; the motion to table was recorded as approved.

What's next: Councilors asked staff to pursue clearer guarantees and additional engagement with the CTC before the council provides a formal endorsement or directs local businesses to support the referendum. The item was tabled pending those clarifications.