Riverside County Supervisor Chuck Washington will be leaving one chairmanship for another at the start of the new year after Riverside County Transportation Commission members unanimously selected him to be its chair for 2019.
“I am eager and honored to lead the 34-member Riverside County Transportation Commission,” Washington said. “Riverside County faces both challenges and opportunities as the fourth most-populous county in the state.
“Transportation remains vital to our residents’ ability to live and work locally, and the commission works hard to find solutions and improve our regional transportation system.”
Washington’s yearlong stint as chairman of the Board of Supervisors ends on Dec. 31. The position is rotated annually, and Supervisor Kevin Jeffries will succeed Washington on Jan. 1.
The commission oversees transportation projects countywide, including freeway expansions, interchange improvements, regional public transit and roadside assistance programs.
The agency controls public revenue derived from Measure A, a half-cent sales tax approved by county voters in 1988 and authorized until 2039, to be used exclusively for transportation projects.
In 2017, some commission members and Washington supported Senate Bill 1, which imposed an additional 12-cent per gallon tax at the pump and raised vehicle license fees an average $50 annually.
Opponents of the measure sought to undo it with Proposition 6 on the November ballot, and a strong majority of Riverside County voters backed the measure, but it was defeated statewide.
Several RCTC projects have received SB 1 revenue disbursals.