Election 2016: County road tax runs out of fuel

Supporters of the Measure P road tax didn’t have quite enough gas for approval Tuesday.
With 58.92 percent of countywide voters in favor of the 1/2-cent sales tax after a tally of most votes, the measure wouldn’t reach the two-thirds threshold necessary for such a special tax proposal, according to the unofficial figures. If approved, the tax would have generated an estimate of $240 million over 30 years, with half of the funds toward Highway 25 upgrades and the other half toward local road fixes.
The Council of San Benito County Governments sought the 1/2-cent tax as a way to fund road improvements that are lagging throughout the county. Support came from a wide spectrum of business, nonprofit and political leaders. Others, however, balked at such details as the 30-year term length and vagueness in the measure’s language potentially allowing for non-specified projects. 
With the vast majority of votes counted as of midnight, 3,483 people supported the measure and 2,428 voters were against it.
For the latest results, go here.