Proposed Measure I would place Apple Valley in county transportation funding plan
Apple Valley is included in San Bernardino County’s proposed Measure I transportation program, giving the town a defined place in a countywide plan that would continue the existing half-cent transportation sales tax beyond 2040.
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors formally placed Measure I on the November 3, 2026, countywide ballot on June 23. The measure has not been approved by voters.
What voters are deciding
Measure I would continue the existing one-half-percent retail transactions and use tax for transportation after its current 2040 expiration. The proposal would not increase the tax rate and would not include a sunset date. Under the ballot resolution, it would remain in effect unless San Bernardino County voters later repeal it.
The adopted transportation expenditure plan estimates about $7.5 billion in revenue allocations during the first 30 years, measured in 2026 dollars. The plan says that estimate is not binding or controlling, so it should not be treated as a guaranteed total.
Apple Valley’s place in the plan
The expenditure plan specifically places the Town of Apple Valley in the Victor Valley Subarea, alongside Adelanto, Hesperia, Victorville and surrounding unincorporated areas.
Under the plan’s return-to-source framework, revenue generated within specified subareas would be used for projects that directly benefit those subareas after required California Department of Tax and Fee Administration fees, funds for the interregional mobility plan, authorized administrative costs and other designated reservations. The plan does not award Apple Valley a specific dollar amount.
The expenditure plan initially reserves 3% of revenue generated across all county subareas for interregional mobility before the other listed allocations. For the remaining Mountain/Desert program structure, the plan assigns 70% to local mobility, 20% to regional mobility and 10% to operations. Those percentages describe the Mountain/Desert program, not Apple Valley’s individual share.
What local mobility could cover
Mountain/Desert local-mobility funds could support eligible local transportation priorities, including local street and road construction, repair and maintenance; sidewalks; bikeways; streetlights; major streets; some state-highway improvements; transit-related uses; and other eligible transportation programs.
The plan also requires each local jurisdiction to reserve 5% of its initial local-mobility allocation in a special account for active-transportation projects. Eligible uses may include bicycle and pedestrian projects and related studies or plans.
Local spending would be organized through a five-year plan adopted annually by the local governing body. Each plan must be made available for public review and comment before local-mobility funds are disbursed, creating a future accountability point for Apple Valley residents.
How Apple’s local share would be calculated
If voters approve Measure I, Apple Valley’s local-mobility allocation would be based 50% on population and 50% on tax generation. Population calculations would use the most current California Department of Finance estimates, while tax-generation calculations would use California Department of Tax and Fee Administration data.
Those figures could change from year to year as population and sales-tax data are updated. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority said its 2026 population estimates are being used to distribute Measure I local-street funds and other transportation funding, and that the Mountain/Desert formula combines population with local tax generation.
What remains undecided
The adopted plan does not authorize a specific Apple Valley road, sidewalk, bikeway or transit project. It also does not establish a city-specific funding total.
Regional-mobility and operations spending would require additional decisions by the transportation authority based on recommendations from subarea representatives and relevant policy committees. The practical result for Apple Valley is eligibility under a proposed funding framework, not a guaranteed construction project, service expansion or dollar allocation.
The next decisive step is the countywide vote on Measure I scheduled for November 3, 2026.
Sources
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