Transportation Surtax Proposal
Published May 1st, 2012
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A pair of tax proposals for the November ballot took a step forward today.
Alachua County Commissioners revisited plans to reduce the proposals from 15 years to ten.
It is not definite that the proposals will even appear on the November ballot.
One resident we spoke to is in favor of the transit portion of the tax.
One resident we spoke to is in favor of the transit portion of the tax.
"We take the bus wherever we go," said Maurice Todd Barker.
For the past three years barker has spent most days riding a bus.
Sometimes he and his wife have to catch two or three buses to get across town.
That's why he says if the transit surtax portion is put on the November ballot, he will mostly likely vote for it.
"If they can use those funds that are generated by the initiative to fund more bus routes, more buses period," said Barker.
County spokesperson Mark Sexton said the transit portion would add new bus routes as well as improve existing routes.
This morning at a County Commission special meeting, one commissioner Susan Baird said she supports the three- quarter of a cent tax proposal to repair roads, but not the one for transit.
"Right now I think we have one of the more superior services, so to go ahead and enhance something that's already superior, Without a real true game play, without data that shows that the need is there, is premature," said Baird.
Although it has been voted down before, Baird is still lobbying to reduce the proposed taxes from 15 years to ten.
"That in 10 years they get the option as to whether they want to renew the program and that would be to put it on the ballot again to extend it, continue it, either for another five years another 20 years whatever the case may be," said Baird.
Commissioner Winston Bradley said he wasn't convinced to reduce the length of time for the tax.
"It's not the county putting a tax on the citizens, it's a choice that the citizens must make on whether or not the are willing to pay the tax," said Bradley.
A tax Barker wouldn't mind paying.
He hopes that if the transit portion of the tax proposal is put on the ballot and approved, more bus routes will be made available to cater to non- students.
"Now we are in a complete new schedule after the 7th of May because the students are gone, so that's going to affect us even more because there will be fewer buses running around campus," said Barker.
Baird said there are still two more major votes that have to go through the commission before the transportation tax proposals are put on the ballot.
The next vote will be May 28, 2012.
By: Yaremi Farinas
