Ordinance No.26-001 Adopting Substantive Transactions and Use Tax Measure (hereinafter, the ordinance)
Summary
SCH Number
2026080155
Public Agency
Riverside County Transportation Commission
(RCTC)
Document Title
Ordinance No.26-001 Adopting Substantive Transactions and Use Tax Measure (hereinafter, the ordinance)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
8/6/2026
Document Description
The ordinance involves renewing a countywide sales tax within Riverside County that, if approved by the voters, would procure funding for the Commission’s operations and investments. The ordinance does not commit the Commission to any particular project or program. Beneficiaries of the ordinance include residents of Riverside County and users of transportation infrastructure in Riverside County.
Contact Information
Name
Aaron Hake
Agency Name
Riverside County Transportation Commission
Job Title
Executive Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
all cities & unincorporated areas in Riverside Co, Southern CA, Banning, Beaumont, Blythe, Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Cathedral City, Coachella, Corona, Desert Hot Springs, Eastvale, Hemet, Indian Wells, Indio, Indio Hills, Jurupa Valley, La Quinta, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Norco, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Perris, Rancho Mirage, Riverside, San Jacinto, Temecula, Wildomar
Counties
Riverside
Regions
Countywide, Southern California
Other Location Info
Riverside County, CA
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
State CEQA guidelines 15378 - Not a project and 15061(b)(3) common sense exemption
Reasons for Exemption
The approval of this Ordinance is not a "project" and, alternatively, is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"). The Ordinance is intended to provide a funding mechanism for potential future projects and programs related to the Commission's provision of transportation services. The Ordinance does not commit the Commission to any particular project, program, or capital improvement. Accordingly, the Commission finds that, under CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(4), adoption of this Ordinance is not a project subject to the requirements of CEQA because the Ordinance is merely "[t]he creation of [a] government funding mechanism or other fiscal activity which [do]es not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment." (CEQA Guidelines § 15378, subd. (b)(4); see also Sustainable Transportation Advocates of Santa Barbara v. Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (2009) 179 Cal.App.4th 113, 123.) Additionally, the timing, design, and approval of individual projects to be funded by the Ordinance are dependent on future funding availability, need, feasibility, CEQA review, future Expenditure Plan review and amendments, and numerous other factors. Thus, the timing and design of future projects, which may not be brought forward for many years, are unknown, and insufficient information is available to enable meaningful environmental review. (CEQA Guidelines § 15004.) Further, because the Ordinance does not approve the construction of any projects that may result in any direct or indirect physical change in the environment, and because future voter approval is required as set forth in PUC Section 240301, approving the Ordinance is not an approval that commits the Commission to a definite course of action. (CEQA Guidelines § 15352.) Thus, it can also be seen with certainty that the Ordinance has no potential for causing a significant effect on the environment and is exempt from any further review under CEQA. (CCEQA Guidelines § 15061(b)(3).)
County Clerk
Riverside
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
Disclaimer: The Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of these documents. To obtain an attachment in a different format, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. For more information, please visit LCI’s Accessibility Site.