The county transportation expenditure plan shall consist of all of the following:

(a) (1) A list of essential traffic and transportation projects in the order of priority within the county, and their respective sponsoring agencies, which current estimates of federal, state, and local funds indicate are insufficient to provide for their completion. The types of projects may include, but are not limited to, capital, maintenance, repair, or operation projects. However, no project shall be included that does not have a sponsoring agency. Estimates of federal and state funding shall be based on estimates provided by the staff of the commission. The sponsoring agency shall provide cost estimates for its projects. An agency which administers a retail transactions and use tax ordinance adopted pursuant to this division shall not be a public transit operator. In addition, any state highway project is subject to approval by the department. Any project estimated to have adequate funding shall not be included on the list.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), funds generated from this division may be used to advance construction to an earlier date for projects contained in the state transportation improvement plan with the concurrence of the county transportation authority, the commission, the California Transportation Commission, and the department.

(b) An estimate of the costs of each of the projects listed in subdivision (a).

(c) An estimate of the current sources of funds available to assist in the completion of each of the projects listed in subdivision (a).

(d) An estimate of the additional amounts of funds to make up the difference between figures in subdivisions (b) and (c) for each of the projects listed in subdivision (a).

(e) A recommendation on whether the adoption of a retail transactions and use tax ordinance would be necessary to fund the projects listed in subdivision (a). If a recommendation is made for the adoption of that ordinance, it shall include a recommendation as to whether the tax shall be permanent or for a specific term. The recommendation shall also address the issue of whether a bonding authority should be sought and on the limitations of that authority.

(f) A recommendation on whether the board of supervisors should request the voters to authorize the creation of a county transportation authority pursuant to this division to impose and administer the proceeds of the tax ordinance recommended in subdivision (e), or whether the board of supervisors should request the commission to impose and administer the proceeds of the tax. The ordinance shall be subject to the approval of a majority of the electors voting on the measure to approve the imposition of the tax.

(g) If the recommendation is for the board of supervisors to ask the voters to request the commission to impose the tax, a recommendation shall be made for the establishment and membership of an advisory committee to advise the commission on the administration of the recommended county transportation expenditure plan.

(h) If the recommendation is for the creation of a county transportation authority, the recommendation shall also include the membership of the authority, specifying the number to represent local governments and the number to represent the county.

(i) A recommendation as to whether to seek the support of adjacent counties for projects that have intercounty impact by requesting the board of supervisors and the city selection committee of each of the adjacent counties to develop a county transportation expenditure plan for their respective county. Adjacent counties shall endeavor to work cooperatively together to develop mutual traffic and transportation projects identified in their respective county transportation expenditure plan.

(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 173, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1998.)