This just came over the transom from Assemblyman Jose Solorio:

Assemblyman Solorio Calls Upon Orange County Board of Supervisors To Provide Local Cities With Funds To Rehab Streets 

ANAHEIM, CA—At the May 1st meeting of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) requested that Orange County begin sharing Proposition 42 state transportation dollars with cities to help them rehabilitate local streets.  The Board unanimously agreed and directed staff to come back within three months with recommendations on how the money would be allocated.

“This is an effort that I began while I was a Santa Ana City Councilmember.  My goal has been to encourage county government to share some of its Prop. 42 transportation dollars with individual Orange County cities to improve the condition of their local streets.  I estimate that cities, in total, would receive approximately $10 to $14 million per year.  I am grateful the Board of Supervisors took leadership on this important issue,” said Assemblyman Solorio.

The Board also voted to share $62 million state transportation bond funding (Proposition 1B) with Orange County Board of Supervisor districts.   

Assemblyman Solorio is also carrying a piece of state legislation, AB 823, which encourages revenue sharing by the County of Orange, but is putting this measure on hold since the County is now developing a revenue sharing plan.

For example, the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove and Santa Ana are experiencing a backlog of arterial and residential street projects that is estimated to cost more than $500 million.  Proposition 42 dollars are required to be used for state and local transportation purposes.  Since the County is now only responsible for maintaining 358 unincorporated area street miles, given the various annexations over the past few decades, revenues will be available in 2008 that could be shared with cities within the County.

If Orange County’s Proposition 42 dollars are not used for specified purposes within certain time periods, they would be given back to the state and be used in other counties.   

“The condition of streets in many Orange County communities is deplorable.  I want to do everything I can to provide more money to all Orange County cities rather than give money back to other counties,” Solorio said.