The San Diego Association of Governments Thursday issued a request for proposals for law firms with investigative experience to conduct an independent examination of a faulty revenue forecast for last fall’s Measure A.
The SANDAG Board of Directors recently called for an outside investigation of who knew what, and when, regarding the projection of how much money a half-cent sales tax hike would raise.
The measure was supported by a majority of residents in November, but failed to capture the two-thirds necessary for passage.
The executive committee of the regional planning agency decided last week to have a law firm handle the investigation.
Three committee members — Poway Mayor Steve Vaus, San Diego City Council President Myrtle Cole and Del Mar Mayor Terry Sinnott — will evaluate submissions and make a recommendation in April.
The Board of Directors, made up of elected officials from around the area, will need to approve the hiring of a firm.
Submissions are due on March 24. The RFP calls for the investigation’s findings to be delivered in June.
SANDAG officials supported the measure by arguing that passage would result in $18 billion to spend on transportation and environmental projects over the next four decades.
Documents obtained by the online publication Voice of San Diego indicated that staff members discovered a modeling error that overstated the likely proceeds, but didn’t change the projection or alert board members.
–City News Service