Measure M’s 24th Annual Public Hearing set for Feb. 10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 2, 2015

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Joel Zlotnik (714) 560-5713, Eric Carpenter (714) 560-5697

Annual Measure M Public Hearing Set for Feb. 10 for Taxpayer Oversight Committee

Half-cent sales tax is driving force behind local transportation improvements 

ORANGE – The Measure M Taxpayer Oversight Committee is conducting its 24th annual public hearing on Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Measure M, administered by the Orange County Transportation Authority, was approved by voters in 1990 and renewed by a vote of nearly 70 percent in 2006. Each year, the committee seeks public input on how funds are being spent. 

The public hearing is at OCTA headquarters, 550 S. Main St. in Orange. During the hearing, members of the public will be able to provide comments about Measure M projects.

The independent, 11-member oversight committee was formed to monitor OCTA’s use of Measure M funding, approve changes to the Measure M plan and hold an annual public hearing on how Measure M dollars are spent.

For more than 20 years, Measure M has been the major force behind traffic congestion relief in Orange County. The original Measure M made possible more than $4 billion worth of transportation improvements through 2011, and, with the renewal through 2041, M is expected to generate another $15.8 billon to keep Orange County moving.

Hundreds of local projects that impact residents on a daily basis have been completed. These include improvements to every freeway, widened streets, synchronized traffic signals and improved intersections. Measure M also made possible Metrolink commuter-rail service in Orange County.

For those interested in serving on the oversight committee, recruitment efforts for openings will begin in March. Orange County residents 18 years and older living in the First, Second, Fourth and Fifth Supervisorial Districts are eligible to apply for a three-year term. Potential committee members should demonstrate a history of participating in community activities, ideally with an emphasis on transportation. The Grand Jurors Association of Orange County conducts the recruitment program and recommends qualified candidates for membership.

For more information about Measure M or the Taxpayer Oversight Committee, visit www.octa.net/toc.

To provide comments about Measure M, go to www.octa.net/toc_mpublichearing.

# # #

Provide Your Feedback About Measure M

The Measure M Taxpayer Oversight Committee is conducting the Measure M 24th Annual Public Hearing. To provide feedback about OCTA’s administration of Measure M, please attend the hearing or complete an online survey.

Event details:

Tuesday, February 10, 2015
6:00 p.m.
OCTA Headquarters
600 S. Main St., Orange
Google Maps

Provide Feedback Online

About Measure M

In 1990, Orange County voters approved Measure M, a 20-year program for freeway, street, road and transit improvements funded by a half-cent sales tax. In 2006, voters approved the extension of Measure M for another 30 years.

The Measure M Taxpayer Oversight Committee reviews OCTA’s administration of Measure M every year to make sure the spirit and the letter of Measure M are fulfilled.