City Of San Clemente Votes To Withdraw From TCA Toll Road Authority

Press release from the City of San Clemente:

May 20, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

City of San Clemente Votes to Withdraw From TCA Toll Road Authority

5/20/21…San Clemente, California…The City of San Clemente voted Tuesday night to withdraw the City from the Foothill/Eastern and San Joaquin Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA). This withdrawal follows efforts by the City of San Clemente and its representatives on the TCA to permanently protect open space in the City of San Clemente from the multi-billion dollar unnecessary toll road extension proposed by the TCA, and follows the vote of the TCA on March 12, 2020 to abandon the 241 extension.

“Enough is enough,” stated San Clemente Mayor, current TCA Board member and Toll Road Sub-Committee Member Kathy Ward. “For years, representatives from San Clemente have not been allowed to join TCA committees dealing with the Toll Road. Why should we continue to waste our time and energy when the only thing the TCA staff and certain board members want is to just keep a useless organization afloat.”

On May 13, 2021, the TCA Joint Boards approved the City’s request to waive the 120-day advanced notice of withdrawal from the TCA, conditioned on the City’s vote to withdraw occurring on May 18, 2021. The City of San Clemente will formally withdraw from its membership on the TCA on June 30, 2021.

“The TCA is a bloated governmental agency accountable to no one,” said Mayor Pro Tem, TCA Board member and Toll Road Sub-Committee Member Gene James. “Instead of paying off its billions in debt and going out of business like they promised, the TCA wants to expand its scope and keep going forever, stealing taxpayer funds and making it more expensive to live or start a business in South Orange County. While every other agency will go on record to oppose any future toll roads, the TCA refuses. As seen by the tens of millions of dollars spent on fake hours for unnecessary consultants, we know who wants the TCA to keep the threat of a toll road moving forward.”

The City is currently studying a plan to withhold future Development Impact Fees (DIFs) that City residents and developers pay to the TCA for the unnecessary expansion of the toll roads. As of the end of 2020, residents and businesses in San Clemente have paid almost $55 million—about 7% of the $765.74 million the toll road agencies had collected in total for all cities. The only cities that have paid more than San Clemente are the cities of Irvine and Lake Forest.

“Despite paying more fees than nearly every other city in Orange County, we have been denied agendas and access to hearings that affect everyone. We believe and support real transportation agencies, including the OCTA, which are focused on more than just their bottom line. The TCA should follow the advice of the Orange County Grand Jury and pay their debt and go out of business,” said Mayor Kathy Ward.

Press Release - TCA Withdrawal 5-20-21

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This press release was produced by the City of San Clemente. The views expressed here are the author’s own.