TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Kathleen Kelly, Interim General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Polling Update
BRIEFING ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ?
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider receiving a report on the District's planned polling associated with a potential upcoming revenue measure.
Staff Contact:
Claudia Burgos, Interim Executive Director of External Affairs, Marketing & Communications
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Financial Stability and Resiliency
Initiative - Financial Efficiency and Revenue Maximization
Conducting polling to gauge voter support for a potential future revenue measure is a key step in determining a path to securing additional resources to support the District's financial stability and resiliency.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding to conduct a voter poll is budgeted in the FY25 budget. Polling is estimated to cost $73,000.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
AC Transit faces significant budget shortfalls beginning next fiscal year. The District's most current deficit projections, based on 85% of pre-pandemic service levels are:
* FY 26: $45M deficit
* FY 27: $72M deficit
* FY 28: $58M deficit
* FY 29: $56M deficit
To prevent substantial service cuts, the District is exploring the possibility of placing a parcel tax revenue measure on the ballot in 2026.
Any future revenue measure, whether our own or through the regional revenue measure being led by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), needs to raise enough money to close the District's current deficit projections of approximately $60 million per year. A tax that generates $60 million per year would be sufficient to sustain current service levels of 85%. Staff does not recommend pursuing a revenue measure that would raise anything less than $60 million per year. In addition to polling a revenue measure that generates $60M a year to allow the District to sustain 85% of pre-pandemic service levels, staff will also poll a large...
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