Measure S: Better Roads, Safe Streets — A Lifeline for Rural Cities

As Mayor Nathan Vosburg looks ahead to the future of Coalinga, he is excited about the potential passage of Measure S and how it will transform the lives of his constituents.

Mayor Vosburg sees Measure S as a gamechanger for Coalinga residents. He believes the measure will be instrumental in improving rural cities given the funding challenges that exist. “The smaller a city is, the less population you have but you still have the needs for roads,” he said. “With the population size that Coalinga has, it’s difficult to pay for roads with the tax base we have.” If Measure S passes, the City of Coalinga will be able to pair the revenue with grant funding. “In the past, the money has gone to fix county roads,” Vosburg said. “A lot of the money that comes in from the city goes to the county, and the county doesn’t focus on rural cities.”

Measure S could also drive business expansion for the City of Coalinga. Mayor Vosburg notes that when businesses are considering where to locate, they consider the demographics of the city, its bike lanes, trails and the Pavement Condition Index (PCI), which indicates a road’s condition from a failed score of zero to an excellent one hundred rating. As of 2025, Coalinga has an average PCI of 58. “When a business goes to a city to scout and they notice the city has neglected roads, it is not very inviting,” Mayor Vosburg said. “Measure S funds will allow us to fix our local roads and allocate other money to assist with expansions.”

Mayor Vosburg also highlighted the importance of Measure S for rural cities as a dedicated public transportation funding resource. Measure S will allocate 25% of the tax revenue generated toward transportation necessities including buses, ADA-accessible bus stops and paratransit, a flexible, public transportation service without scheduled routes. “We have a hard time getting residents to other major cities such as Fresno and Hanford, and a lot of Coalinga residents work in Fresno and other cities,” Mayor Vosburg said. For fiscal year July 2024 to June 2025, Coalinga had a combined total of 9,712 passengers for fixed-route transit, such as buses that run on a regularly timed schedule, and demand-response transit, a transportation mode that does not have a set schedule, totaling over $609,443 in operating costs. The substantial number of public transportation users and steep operational expenditures underscore the need for a dedicated public transportation funding system.

In Mayor Vosburg’s opinion, Measure S will address the funding gaps that Measure C did not address. He notes that Measure C generated $9 million, or $500,000 annually, for the City of Coalinga over a 20-year period, and that Measure S is projected to generate $81 million, or $2.7 million annually, for the city over 30 years. “Measure S will fund local roads. It is not a scam and is vital to all our communities,” Mayor Vosburg said. “The measure will fix the worst roads first. We can keep everyone safe in the future based on that repair selection.” Measure S stipulates that a city's streets must each have a PCI of 65 before the measure revenue can be spent on widening roads. As Mayor Vosburg puts it, the worst roads come first, and that keeps everyone safer down the road.

To learn more about Measure S and its pledge for Better Roads, Safe Streets, visit https://voteyesons.com/

Disclaimer: Paid for by the Central Valley Community Foundation