Measure J Reserve Reaches $21.4M; Transit Share Sits Near $4M

Contra Costa's bus operators have a cushion against a sales tax slump, but staff told the Bus Transit Coordinating Committee on Nov. 9, 2026, that it is a thin one: about $4 million of a $21.35 million Measure J reserve is tied to transit. The informational report drew no vote. Members pressed for operator-by-operator numbers, and staff agreed to provide them.

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• $21,354,883 Measure J reserve reported, with 17.2% tied to transit programs.
• Roughly $4M transit share is small next to about $23M in yearly transit allocations.
• No target reserve size, and no formal policy for leftover CPI funds.
• Members win per-operator balances and year-over-year changes in future annual reports.

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A Cushion Smaller Than One Year of Transit Spending

The basics: Measure J is Contra Costa's transportation sales tax. The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) distributes its revenue to programs, including bus and paratransit service. The measure expires in 2034.

Why it matters: The reserve is what stands between bus operators' allocations and a drop in sales tax revenue. Staff also said interest earned on the reserve pays for creating the next expenditure plan, the blueprint voters would weigh before Measure J ends.

Where things stand: Since fiscal year 2023, sales tax revenue that comes in above projections has gone into the reserve. Before that, it was paid out later as a bonus through a "true-up," a reconciliation of projected and actual revenue.

"The main change between before and after the policy is that last above 100% additional revenue, instead of going back in a true-up as a bonus in a future year, was then deposited into the reserve," said a CCTA staff presenter.

The reserve now totals $21,354,883. Of that, 17.2%, or about $4 million, is tied to transit programs.

A second, smaller pot: CCTA also keeps a separate CPI reserve. CPI is the consumer price index, a common measure of inflation. That reserve can hold up to 3% of allocations for Programs 14, 15 and 16, and was last triggered in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. Staff put its balances at just under $1 million, citing figures of about $800,000 and about $820,000.

The other side: The reserve's size sounds substantial until it is set against what goes out the door. Staff noted the cushion must also be weighed against bond obligations.

"We give out $23 million a year in just transit programs. And the entire balance of the Measure J reserve is only $21 million," the staff presenter said.

Staff also acknowledged that CCTA has no target size for the reserve and no formal policy on what happens to leftover CPI funds.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The committee took no action. Members asked that future annual reports break out reserve balances by operator and show year-over-year changes. Staff agreed.

That gives bus and paratransit operators a clearer view of what each program could draw on in a downturn. It also gives committee members a baseline to track whether the cushion is growing or shrinking as the 2034 sunset nears.

What's next: Look for per-operator and year-over-year figures in the next annual reserve report. Operators and advocates may want to ask whether CCTA will set a target reserve level or a policy for unspent CPI funds before work on the next expenditure plan advances.

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Minor Items

• Consent calendar approved: The committee approved the June 1, 2026, summary of actions (For: 3, Against: 0, Abstain: 1). Committee Member Thompson moved the item and Committee Member Barnes seconded. Thompson, Barnes and the alternate for Churchill voted yes. Committee Member Del Rosario abstained.

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Looking ahead: The committee's next regular meeting is proposed for Dec. 7, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.