Transportation funding bill passes legislative committee (Atlanta: appointed, sales, 2015)

[Airforceguy]

A significant change the committee approved Wednesday would increase some of the hodgepodge of sales taxes charged at the local level – including Atlanta's sales tax financing the city's ongoing sewer system overhaul – from the current 1 percent to 1.25 percent.
The increase would help offset a provision in the bill that would prohibit local governments from collecting sales taxes on gasoline. Lobbyists for cities, counties and school districts had complained the legislation would drain their tax bases.

Transportation funding bill passes legislative committee - Atlanta Business Chronicle

[cqholt]

I hope it does not pass. The Bubba's managed to remove the dedicated transit portion and 'promise' to put $100M annually in a bond package for transit. Yeah, like we believe they will actually do anything to fund transit unless its the law. They talked about the GA constitution prohibiting dedicated funding, but there is a law saying all gas tax must fund roads and bridges.

[Ha-Mez]

I am disappointed that they took transit out of the wording. I'll be contacting my state congressmen soon.

[red92s]

Did they sneak killing off the EV credit in there? Don't recall seeing that being mentioned before....just the user fee for electric vehicles.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by red92s

Did they sneak killing off the EV credit in there? Don't recall seeing that being mentioned before....just the user fee for electric vehicles.

the credit ended in 2014. As of the current proposal, the EV fee would go towards the roads general funds.

[red92s]

Originally Posted by cqholt

the credit ended in 2014.

Nope, still there. It's been on the books for 16 years. There was a bill last year that would have ended it, but it never came up for a vote.

Per the article:

Another provision governing EVs calls for eliminating a state tax credit on purchases or leases of electric vehicles

I don't remember that ever being mentioned as being included in the bill when it was first introduced a couple weeks ago.

[Atlwarrior]

I swear the State of Georgia is stuck in 1970's with their mindset toward transit. Three million people have move here since the 70's and still no urgency for transit funding, what a backwards and slow State government. Why does the Gov. continued to recruit new companies to metro Atlanta to be stuck in traffic. A extra hour going and coming from work on the interstate is not a good look.

[Ha-Mez]

Originally Posted by Atlwarrior

I swear the State of Georgia is stuck in 1970's with their mindset toward transit. Three million people have move here since the 70's and still no urgency for transit funding, what a backwards and slow State government. Why does the Gov. continued to recruit new companies to metro Atlanta to be stuck in traffic. A extra hour going and coming from work on the interstate is not a good look.

This does not mean that state transit funding is impossible. It just means that transit funding has to be allocated in each budget.

According to Peach Pundit, it was a Sierra Club lobbyist who pointed out that the transit spending line might have been unconstitutional.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Ha-Mez

I am disappointed that they took transit out of the wording. I'll be contacting my state congressmen soon.

I don't like dedicated funds in principal unless it really is a user tax, like the gas tax.

The legislature is supposed to prioritize needs, not to have their hands tied by a bunch of special restrictions. Just like MARTA should now be able to prioritize their needs instead of a 50/50 split.

[atltechdude]

Typical, nothing remotely reasonable can pass in this state.