City to present Rail to State Tomorrow (Fishers, Carmel: income, income tax)

[msamhunter]

I'm surprised that no one has yet to mention supports of mass transit going in front of the legislature tomorrow. 10 year plan, pretty aggressive. I will say though leaving the other donut counties out of the original equation is well pointless. It causes an alienation between Indy and the other suburban counties as if they aren't as important as Hamilton County. It will definitely be a hard sell trying to include them "later" on seeing as how they feel the Fishers to downtown line should be first when in all actuality it should be a line to the airport. If you spend 1.1 billion on a new terminal, it should be your first consideration since it is the first thing visitors see when they fly into the city.

[bertrandandjules]

Good points! I'll definitely be tuning in over the next few days. The only reason the Fishers line seems to get so much buzz is that a lot of the infrastructure is already in place, so it would probably cost less. But I agree that it isn't as urgent as serving areas where people are likely to use transit for lack of other options rather than as a fashionable "lifestyle choice" the way it might be for wealthy folks in Fishers.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

It causes an alienation between Indy and the other suburban counties as if they aren't as important as Hamilton County.

Let's be honest...........they're not.

Originally Posted by msamhunter

It will definitely be a hard sell trying to include them "later" on seeing as how they feel the Fishers to downtown line should be first when in all actuality it should be a line to the airport. If you spend 1.1 billion on a new terminal, it should be your first consideration since it is the first thing visitors see when they fly into the city.

I think this idea that one route should be first instead of another is toxic. We need a system. Rome wasn't built in a day and we've got to start somewhere. If the Nickle Plate line gets the ball rolling then so be it.

[REM]

I can't wait!!!!

[wh15395]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

Let's be honest...........they're not.

Haha you took my line. Also, does anyone know why they have to have a voter referendum to do this? I just don't understand why Hamilton and Marion counties don't just increase taxes without asking the voters.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by wh15395

Haha you took my line. Also, does anyone know why they have to have a voter referendum to do this? I just don't understand why Hamilton and Marion counties don't just increase taxes without asking the voters.

Espich seemed to indicate in the IndyStar article that he would support that approach.

[EmmanuelGoldstein]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

I'm surprised that no one has yet to mention supports of mass transit going in front of the legislature tomorrow. 10 year plan, pretty aggressive. I will say though leaving the other donut counties out of the original equation is well pointless. It causes an alienation between Indy and the other suburban counties as if they aren't as important as Hamilton County. It will definitely be a hard sell trying to include them "later" on seeing as how they feel the Fishers to downtown line should be first when in all actuality it should be a line to the airport. If you spend 1.1 billion on a new terminal, it should be your first consideration since it is the first thing visitors see when they fly into the city.

I don't think it's pointless to leave out the other metro counties right now. The only two counties right now that have the will to do something like this are Marion and Hamilton. Hendricks will be next I'd guess and after that who knows. Johnson County has a pretty large population but also one that is probably opposed to funding something like transit.

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by EmmanuelGoldstein

I don't think it's pointless to leave out the other metro counties right now. The only two counties right now that have the will to do something like this are Marion and Hamilton. Hendricks will be next I'd guess and after that who knows. Johnson County has a pretty large population but also one that is probably opposed to funding something like transit.

Won't pass referendum and here's why, as long as Marion county residents feel this is being done for Hamilton County, there will be backlash and rightfully so which is also the same with the remaining suburban counties. The many will never bend to the few, just won't happen.

[EmmanuelGoldstein]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

Won't pass referendum and here's why, as long as Marion county residents feel this is being done for Hamilton County, there will be backlash and rightfully so which is also the same with the remaining suburban counties. The many will never bend to the few, just won't happen.

Look at the map and tell me this is being done for Hamilton County's benefit. Yes, the rail line runs to Hamilton County but the bus improvements, which are the most substantial of the plan, dramitically improve service for Marion County residents.

If anything, it would be Hamilton County voters who would shoot down a referendum, not Marion County.

I'm having a hard time understanding your disdain for Hamilton County to be honest, unless you're a hardcore urbanist living in Center Township. Even then most of them praise what is happening in Carmel, thinking the suburbs finally starting to "get it."

[indy_317]

The referendum is the way to go. A lot of the elected officials who are in office now may have never made comments one way or other about taxes for mass transit.

I have some questions about the local income tax that maybe some folks here can answer:

#1: Say one lives in Shelby Co., but works in Marion Co., how do local income taxes work out? I know that on my state taxes, it ask where you worked and where you lived at the first of the year. Say the tax rate in Shelby Co. is .5% and the rate in Marion Co. is 1%. Is my paycheck taxed at the .5% rate or the 1% rate? I know that my W-2s at the end of the year show my locality as my county number, but still not sure how the taxes end up working out.

#2: How would the referendum work with the income tax? Are these at the local municipal level or the countywide level? For example, if a majority of the residents of Carmel and Westfield vote no, would the entire population be exempt, while say Noblesville/Fishers vote to pay for it?

Overall I think the plan is much better than the former plans. The residents of Marion Co. and Hamilton Co. should shoulder the costs of the bulk of this, as they get the bulk (if not all) of the benefits. The more the other counties get, the more they should pay. Just because a bus goes to Greenwood Park Mall, I don't think making Franklin, Whiteland, etc. pay for that is fair. However, if they get a more costly rail line in the future, or more buses eventually, then they would need to pass a tax increase to fund their share.