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It is an investment, he says, and one the city of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ cannot afford without increasing the city’s sales tax by a half-cent — from 2 cents per $1 to 2½ cents — for the next five years, which is the length of time the increased tax would be collected. 

Which is how Rothschild prefers to frame the discussion — it is a chance for locals to choose to invest an estimated $250 million in sales-tax revenues to fix roads, build new fire stations, purchase new police cars and other life-saving equipment, including replacing bulletproof vests. The tax hike would bring in $50 million a year for five years.

Current city policy requires officers to buy their own vests, and while they receive a stipend to maintain required equipment, Police Chief Chris Magnus has acknowledged the amount is not enough.

A local nonprofit, the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Police Foundation, also donates new vests to officers on a regular basis, but this also falls short of the number that need to be regularly replaced.

During his speech before the Democrats of Greater ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ luncheon meeting, Rothschild touted the city’s success in handling the voter-backed $100-million road-bond program known as Proposition 409, telling the audience it is under budget and ahead of schedule.

“It has been very successful,� Rothschild said.

If approved by voters in May, another $100 million would go to repairing roads, but the amount set aside for certain types of roads would change drastically.

The November 2012 bond question set aside $85 million to fix heavily used streets, with only 15 percent expected to go to neighborhood streets.

In terms of the new proposal, about $60 million would be used for major roads, and rest would go to fix residential streets. “Our residential streets are really falling apart,� he said.

Rothschild said the city will maintain a website detailing how the tax revenue is spent. “You’ll know exactly where all the money goes,� Rothschild said.

To date, the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Association of Realtors, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Police Officers Association and the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Fire Fighters Association have endorsed Prop. 101.

There is no formal opposition to the proposal, according to filings with the City Clerk’s Office.

Prop. 101 mail-in ballots will be sent to voters next month.