July 2, 2009

Transit Bill Delayed

Posted at 11:56 AM by Stephen Jackson

As suspected, the Congestion Relief bill was pulled from consideration by the Senate Finance Committee yesterday. It is unlikely that the bill will be considered before the budget is finalized.

The major sticking point apparently continues to be the House bill’s authorization of local option quarter cent sales referenda for 94 counties – all save the Triangle and Triad counties. Several counties, municipalities and rural transit services have voiced concerns over the expected amendment that would eliminate the quarter cent option for the 94 counties that is anticipated to come from Finance co-chair, Senator Dan Clodfelter. Other Democrat Senators are understood to have similar concerns.

No doubt the bill is also becoming entangled with or, at least, by budget negotiations over competing House and Senate proposals over sales tax base reform and rate changes. The house tax plan expands the base to cover some services and raise the rate a quarter cent; the Senate plan expands the base a good deal more to cover many services, raises the rate for electricity to the state rate, but lowers the rate overall. (Read the sensible NC Justice Center proposal to combine the two plans here.)

North Carolinians have waited a long time for greater and in most cases, simply adequate public transportation services. The delay is frustrating for advocates. Many stakeholders told me yesterday, “We just want the bill to pass.”

The increase in vehicle registration fees ordered by the bill would be enough to expand many county services in a satisfactory way; the quarter cent authorization is largely irrelevant. That is the logic behind Senator Clodfelter’s expected amendment. Yet some counties and cities outside the Triangle and Triad clearly want access to the quarter cent. While legislative minds are occupied by negotiations over larger tax reform issues, it appears that resolution of that conflict will take a little time.

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3 Comments

3 Comments Add yours »

Transit Bill Delayed | 2 Jul 2009 12:25 pm

[...] rest is here: Transit Bill Delayed This entry was written by admin and posted on July 2, 2009 at 8:56 am and filed under Object. [...]

Bull Moose 3 Jul 2009 6:50 am

its hard to believe how far the Republican Party has fallen with their “No New Taxes” mantra. Wasn’t it Richard Nixon (R) who was responsible for the creation of Amtrak?

Doremus Jessup 18 Jul 2009 1:42 pm

thank goodness that state workers and retired state workers get free public transit throughout the Triangle area through the UPASS program

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