By Tony Bizjak, Sacramento Bee

Placer County roads and highways are increasingly congested and local leaders say they don’t have enough money to provide traffic relief. After years of debate, they are asking voters on Nov. 8 to approve a half-cent sales tax increase to fund an estimated $1.6 billion of transportation improvements over the next 30 years.

Measure M, the Keep Placer Moving initiative, will need a two-thirds yes vote to pass. It’s a tough hurdle in a largely Republican county where voters are known to be fiscally conservative. But congestion problems have led some low-tax advocates to offer support for the measure.

The tax is similar to transportation sales tax measures on the ballot in 14 California counties, including neighboring Sacramento. County officials say they are asking voters for the tax because the state and federal governments have failed to provide adequate funds for roads, and there appears to be no movement at either state or federal levels to come up with a reliable, long-term revenue source.

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