Measure H proposes a half-cent "self-help" sales tax to fund:

* Repair and maintenance of local streets and roads

* Improvements to the Jamieson Canyon corridor, including widening and a center median barrier from Highway 29 to I-80

* Safer routes to school and transit for the elderly and disabled

The Yes on Measure H campaign committee, including Supervisor Bill Dodd, Mayor Jill Techel, Dorothy Lind-Salmon, Mel Engle, Kate King, myself and others, have developed this list of answers to common questions about Measure H.

Why do we need a local sales tax to fund highway improvements? Isn't that a state and federal responsibility?

In the past, state and federal sources provided the lion's share of transportation money. Things have changed. It has become clear that the state and federal governments want local government to take more responsibility for funding transportation. Today more than half of the funding for big projects is coming from non-state sources. That's why counties with matching funds (called self-help counties) go to the front of the line and get their projects built. Examples include the Highway 4 widening project in Contra Costa County -- a project that has been successful due to a local source of revenue providing 40 to 80 percent of the cost. The same is true of work underway to build high occupancy vehicle lanes on 680 -- local self-help revenue makes the difference. Seven of the nine Bay Area counties already have a self-help transportation sales tax in place.

Shouldn't pothole repair and street maintenance be accounted for in the city and county general funds?

The county and all the cities allocate money for road maintenance every year. The problem is the amount available to spend is just not enough.

Napa County: The county spends about $5 million a year on road repairs and maintenance. About $2.6 million comes from gas tax, and about $860,000 from the general fund. The County is entitled to around $600,000 from Proposition 42, but that has not been a reliable revenue source. The remainder comes from a variety of non-general fund sources. That's $5 million for roads, but the need each year is closer to $12 to 13 million.

City of Napa: The city currently budgets $3.7 million from the general fund and another $1.3 million from gas taxes for streets. That's $5 million but the need each year is closer to $10 million.

Where does the general fund money go?

The city of Napa, like most communities, spends more than half its general fund (55 percent) on police and fire services. The county spends about a third of its money on health and human services, and another 25 percent on law, justice and public safety. Understandably, the community places a high priority on funding law enforcement and fire protection. Many of the services the county provides are state-mandated but not state funded. The county and the city are also faced with expenses that cannot be anticipated -- unreimbursed disaster recovery costs and costs of investigating and prosecuting major crimes. For example, the upcoming double murder case may cost the county as much as $3 million in the next year.

Haven't the general funds benefited from increases in property tax revenues lately?

About 65 percent of property tax revenues go to the schools. The county receives about 22 percent and the city of Napa about 7 percent. While it is true that property values have risen dramatically in recent years, property tax revenues to the county and cities have seen more modest gains. Property tax revenues rise when there is new construction or when properties are sold, and only a percentage of properties change hands in a given period of time. Most of the increase in property values is being held as equity by property owners. The county's projected revenues for 2005-2006 show an increase of about $3 million over the previous year, a gain of about 10 percent. Even if every penny of increased revenues from property tax went to roads, there would still be a huge shortfall.

If Measure H does not pass, how can additional road repairs and maintenance be funded?

Without a reliable, dedicated source of money under local control, elected officials will be faced with the difficult choice of taking money away from police and fire services, health and human services, parks or other areas, to provide more for streets and roads.

More information on Measure H can be found at www.yeasonmeasureh.org. If you have a question that is not answered here or on the Web site, call 252-4950.

(Kelly is treasurer of the Yes on H campaign.)