Despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of infrastructure funding in the 119th Congress and a second Trump administration, infrastructure performed incredibly well in state and local elections on Election Day. Across the United States, voters approved or renewed billions of dollar infrastructure funding.
Below is a summary of some of the ballot initiatives ASCE’s has been tracking over the last few months.
California
California voters were presented with two major infrastructure ballot measures on Election Day.
The first measure, Proposition 4 (Prop. 4) would allow the state to issue $10 billion in environmental and climate resiliency bonds. Under Prop. 4, the bond prioritizes lower-income communities, and those most vulnerable to climate change, and requires annual audits to ensure government transparency. The measure was approved by California voters, winning nearly 60 percent of the vote.
Prop. 4 will be the largest investment in climate resilience in the history of California. It is estimated the bonds will cost the state’s General Fund $400 million annually for the next 40 years. About $3.8 billion would be spent on water projects — half to improve water quality, the remainder on protecting the state from floods and droughts. The rest of the money would be spent on various initiatives including wildfire prevention, coastal lands protection, clean energy and agricultural projects.
The second major question posed to Californians, Proposition 5 (Prop. 5), was defeated at the ballot box. It passed, Prop 5 would have made it easier for local governments to issue bonds to build critical infrastructure and affordable housing. Currently, California requires a two-thirds majority (66.67 percent) of voters in a given locality to approve the issuance of new bonds. Proposition 5 would have lowered the threshold to 55 percent.
Colorado
In Colorado, Proposition JJ (Prop JJ) asked voters weighed in on whether excess tax revenue derived from sports betting within the state should be refunded to casino and sports book operators or be invested in Colorado’s Water Plan. The public sent a clear message on Election Day, as it voted overwhelmingly in favor of the state keeping the excess sports gambling, with 76.4% voters supporting the measure.
The additional tax revenue will primarily help fund projects like improving canals and headgates that bring water to farms and ranches throughout Colorado and funding conservation projects and drought plans. It will also help plus a looming funding gap. The Colorado Water Conservation Board, the state’s top water policy agency had estimated it will be asked to fund about $3.85 billion in water related loans and grants over the next 30 years, but funding was forecast to fall about $1.5 billion short prior to the approval of Prop JJ.
Oklahoma
In Oklahomans weighed in State Question 833, which asked voters on whether the state should allow the creation of public infrastructure districts (PIDs) to pay for infrastructure improvements like sidewalks, water lines, sewers and roadways. If passed, the measure would have allowed property owners within a city or town to create a public infrastructure district and sell bonds to pay for the improvements. It required 100% approval of surface property owners within the proposed district to create it before it could even be approved by the local municipality.
Critics of the measure argued the PIDs would have created extra work for staff and elected officials and hurt tax revenue for public schools and local governments in the long run. The question failed statewide by a vote of 62% to 38%.
Rhode Island
Statewide bonds have a history of success in the Ocean State – a statewide bond measure has not failed in Rhode Island since 2006. This year was no exception. More than 67% voters chose to approve a $53 million “green bond” to address environmental-related infrastructure, recreation areas and green spaces issues in their state.
The bond funding will be disturbed among nine different projects, including $15 million for improvements to the Port of Davisville, $10 million for the RI Infrastructure Bank to fund matching grants, $5 million for grants to clean up “brownfield “sites throughout the state, and $2 million for grants to public and non-profit entities to restore and improve the climate resilience of coastal habitats.
Local Ballot Initiatives
There were dozens more successful ballot measures at the local level on Election Day. Some notable examples are:
- Four out of nine counties in South Carolina renewed or enacted a local sales tax that will provide $11.7 billion in funding for roads, bridges, and transit over the next 25 years;
- Nashville, Tenn. voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase which will allow them to invest $3.1 billion in the city’s transit system, sidewalks, and roads;
- Voters in Seattle, Wash. renewed a local property tax that over the next eight years will facilitate a $1.55 billion investment in the city’s transportation infrastructure; and
- In Maricopa County, Ariz. votes renewed a half-penny sales tax, which will generate $14.9 billion for another 20 years for transit and transportation related initiatives.
Overall, in 2024 voters have approved more than $41 Billion in new or renewed funding for roads, bridges, rail and other transportation infrastructure. This year’s successes are part of a larger trend. From 2014-2024 voters have approved 84% of all transit related ballot initiatives with a total local infrastructure investment of more than $390 billion over that same period.
Considering the results of these ballot measures, the American public is demonstrating robust support for funding infrastructure projects that will directly benefit them and their communities.
ASCE and other stakeholders should use the convincing outcomes of these ballot measures as a springboard to advocate for continued infrastructure support from the incoming Congress and administration.