It was a packed house at the state capitol Thursday as mass transit took center stage. An Assembly committee heard from several municipalities that want to form regional transit authorities to operate their struggling bus systems. Those panels would be allowed to impose a half cent sales tax as an alternative funding source to the property tax. As WUWM’s Marti Mikkelson reports, residents and civic leaders from Milwaukee were among those speaking passionately.
The hearing before the Assembly Transportation Committee lasted several hours and was stacked with people in favor of the legislation. Under the plan, a new transit authority would be created for Milwaukee County. Rep. Tamara Grigsby of Milwaukee says the county’s bus system has suffered tight budget constraints in the recession, leading to increased fares and loss of ridership.
“Our system is at the brink of completely deteriorating. Our bus system is in dire, dire straits. If we don’t get some solution to that, we’re going to have massive issues with people being able to get to work,” Grigsby says.”
The transit authority, with County Board approval, could authorize a half cent sales tax here to pay for the bus system. Grigsby notes that Milwaukee County residents favored a sales tax for transit in an advisory referendum two years ago.
“My constituents voted to have this happen. They have said that they want to have transit taken off the property tax roll and they have said that they are willing to pay an increase in sales tax to make that happen,” Grigsby says.
Although Democrats control the Legislature, several Republicans have spoken out against a higher sales tax. One is Sen. Glenn Grothman of West Bend.
“We are in the middle of a very strong economic downturn. I cannot imagine with our bloated government, raising a sales tax for anything right now,” Grothman says.
Grothman says instead, public transit systems should cut the size of their payrolls in order to free up operating money. Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau says he’s not sure there would be much property tax relief if transit systems used a sales tax to pay for buses.
“Show me the relief on this. If it isn’t total elimination or sunset of a revenue stream people are always skeptical about what is government doing and is this going to work,” Fitzgerald says.
Fitzgerald notes there are several different plans before the Legislature in addition to Milwaukee County’s proposal. Those include creating regional transit authorities statewide and specifically for La Crosse County and the Appleton area. He says the proposals are complicated and time is running out for this Legislature. It’s scheduled to finish its business for the year in April.
Under the plan before the Legislature, the Milwaukee County Transit Authority would eventually be absorbed into a regional body that would also oversee commuter rail in southeastern Wisconsin.
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