MTC, ABAG Boards Support Propositions 4 and 5

MTC Commissioners voted today, and the ABAG Executive Board voted last week to support California Propositions 4 and 5, measures scheduled for the statewide November ballot. 

Proposition 4 is the state of California’s largest-ever climate bond and would allocate $10 billion to programs administered by the California Natural Resources Agency and its departments. Proposition 5 would set the vote threshold for local and regional bonds for affordable housing and public infrastructure at 55%.

Proposition 4

Proposition 4 funds would support wildfire and water resilience, protect coastal lands from sea level rise, and address extreme heat, among other projects. In alignment with the 2024 Joint Advocacy Program, ABAG and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) successfully advocated for the bond to fund coastal resilience and flood management through the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority Act or San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program, the extension of the Department of Water Resources’ Integrated Regional Water Management Program and the California Wildfire Mitigation Program, which is the only state program focused on structure-hardening projects that directly protect homes from the impacts of wildfires.

At least 40% of Proposition 4 bond funds must be allocated for projects that provide meaningful and direct benefits to vulnerable populations or disadvantaged communities. In supporting Proposition 4, ABAG joins a wide range of organizations, including the California Municipal Utilities Association, California Federation of Teachers and the Bay Area Council. Other supporters of Proposition 5 include Equality California, YIMBY Action and SEIU California. 

Proposition 5

Currently, under the California Constitution, passing local bonds for any purpose except school facilities requires support from two-thirds of voters. Local school bonds have a lower vote threshold of 55% as the result of Proposition 39 (2000). Proposition 5 extends the 55% vote threshold to local/regional bonds for affordable housing and public infrastructure. 

Under Proposition 5, affordable housing includes the development of multifamily and single-family homes affordable to households earning up to 150% of area median income, permanent supportive housing and associated facilities, and first-time homebuyer and down payment assistance programs. Public infrastructure funds would cover a variety of projects, including public transit, roads, disaster recovery and educational facilities.