MARTA will lobby for a sales tax increase (Alpharetta: 2015, house)

[jsvh]

MARTA will lobby for a sales tax increase | Route 666

...MARTA Board Chairman Robbie Ashe said recently that the transit agency will be lobbying hard for lawmakers to let the counties in its jurisdiction vote on a half-penny hike in the upcoming 2016 session.

“Over the weeks and months to come, we are going to keep beating this drum,” Ashe said.

MARTA’s expansion plans include three major projects: a $2.4 billion heavy rail extension along Ga. 400 to Windward Parkway in Alpharetta; a $1-to-$2 billion light rail system along the Emory/Clifton Corridor; and a $2.5 billion heavy rail extension along I-20 East to Stonecrest Mall.

...

What MARTA really wants is a dependable long-term funding stream it can bond against and use as a local match to draw down federal grant dollars.

In Fulton and DeKalb alone, a half-cent sales tax increase would generate enough money to fund all three expansion projects, and possibly even help jump-start transit along the Beltline, Ashe said.

...

[arjay57]

They will have a better chance if they can get Fulton, DeKalb and COA to do a corresponding sales tax reduction.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by arjay57

They will have a better chance if they can get Fulton, DeKalb and COA to do a corresponding sales tax reduction.

In CoA at least, a 1% "MOST" sales tax will expire in 2016. That is probably part of the calculus here. But I think that it could pass without that if it meant that all the proposed transit extensions would move forward. There is strong support for transit in Fulton / DeKalb.

[ATLTJL]

This might be a stupid question....

But how do you charge people half a penny on purchases?

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

They will have a better chance if they can get Fulton, DeKalb and COA to do a corresponding sales tax reduction.

It's only .5% sales tax. Is that not worth the increase in transit investment? Taxes pay for things, without taxes we run into the issue we are currently are, our infrastructure is crumbling because people are unwilling to pay more taxes and feel more money in their pocket is better than safe roads, bridges, water systems, power grids, etc.

[flyonpa]

BandSaw you cut a bunch of pennies in half.

Many Feel a "User" paid fee is better, "Why should I pay for MARTA, I never user it" Let the one using it pay $5 a ride.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

This might be a stupid question....

But how do you charge people half a penny on purchases?

The same way you pay for 9/10 of a cent of gas. Rounding.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by flyonpa

BandSaw you cut a bunch of pennies in half.

Many Feel a "User" paid fee is better, "Why should I pay for MARTA, I never user it" Let the one using it pay $5 a ride.

Sounds fare, tolls on all roads or VMF where the user pays the bill. Gas taxes do not pay for maintenance of local roads.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Sounds fare, tolls on all roads or VMF where the user pays the bill. Gas taxes do not pay for maintenance of local roads.

But now that the 2015 transportation bill has been signed into law, won't local governments have the option of changing that?

[flyonpa]

I don't have a problem with a (National) mileage based Road Tax, that is collected by DDS/ DMV based on total mileage driven.

Some Cents of it goes to support Interstate type Projects, (National priorities)

other Cents to Major State Projects, and some cents for Local (Collector road) Projects, based some formula.

The Road in front of your house would be paid for by your property taxes, or maybe a Curb cut/frontage fee, Mostly, If you live on a collector type road, a small percent of Local property tax would support that for your access from your driveway on it it.