Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) is the newest environmental measurement to come from the State of California and it will negatively impact your financial future. Application of the VMT will impact everything from how your community can grow to how much tax you will pay for the privilege of driving – any type of vehicle. Our County Board of Supervisors will vote on Sept. 28 to determine how to apply VMT to our unincorporated and rural communities. How to add fees (taxes) to the costs of projects in order to “mitigate” the VMT impact. Where and how building will be allowed as some communities will be considered VMT efficient and other communities will be declared VMT inefficient. In effect, unincorporated communities such as Alpine, Ramona, and Valley Center will move from the “good column” to the “bad column” in the County’s view. Tell our county supervisors that identification of VMT inefficient communities and the penalties that follow this label are unfair. That a label of being a VMT inefficient community is a stigmatizing status applied to a community through no fault of its own. That residents living in more rural communities demand respect and fair treatment from their County government. The Board of Supervisors needs to hear from you. Tell them that not everyone will choose to live in the dense housing projects now being developed. Tell them that living with open space, fresh air and on a property with enough room to park your work truck or recreational equipment or to stable your animals or run a rescue or to grow food – should not be penalized. VMT fees and taxes will increase the cost of living in the country. It is in the country that many goods and services are created for the benefit of all County residents. This benefit should be recognized, protected and encouraged by the County – not tossed into the “bad column.” You can provide comments to the Board of Supervisors Sept. 28 meeting on VMT by emailing the Supervisors directly. Send your communication to all 5 Supervisors as they each have a vote on your future. district1community@sdcounty. ca.gov (Nora Vargas) joel.anderson@sdcounty. ca.gov terra.lawson-remer@sdcounty. ca.gov nathan.fletcher@sdcounty. ca.gov jim.desmond@sdounty.ca.gov, or attend the meeting by following the instructions from the County’s Board of Supervisors meeting website: https://www. sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/bos/comment-at-board-meetings. html Robin Joy Maxson Chair, Ramona Community Planning Group
