SierraScape February - March 2008
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by Ginger Harris
Transportation and Smart Growth Chair

In the wake of Metro transit agency's loss of its lawsuit on November 30, St. Louis County reversed its decision to ask voters to raise the county transit tax by half a cent at the February 5, 2008 election. This tax measure may be proposed for a later election in 2008.

In a meeting with Eastern Missouri Group's Transportation & Smart Growth Committee in November, County Executive Charlie Dooley's assistant Darin Cline explained that this tax increase is needed because the county's revenues have not kept up with inflation. Transit sales tax revenues do not go directly to Metro, but are appropriated by the County and City governments. A quarter-cent tax increase is needed to maintain and operate the current system of buses, light rail and demand-responsive vans, and to trigger collection of a quarter cent sales tax that St. Louis City passed several years ago. The County's second quarter cent would be used to expand the transit system, with possibly a light rail extension to the Westport Plaza area. This tax had a 20-year sunset.

Cline said the transit tax increase was also needed to help make the St. Louis metropolitan area more economically competitive, to help reduce traffic congestion, and to reduce pollution and thus help alleviate asthma.

The delay in putting this issue on the ballot has stimulated additional ideas on how to fund general transportation needs in St. Louis County. Advocates for highway funding have floated the idea of allocating all the County's original half-cent "transit" tax to roads if and when County voters approve the 2 new quarter-cent transit taxes. Wording in the original tax authorization bill allows the City and County to allocate this "transit" tax to roads, but only the County does so, allocating as much as half this "transit" tax to County roads. In 2007 the County allocated 30% of its original half-cent "transit" tax to roads. If the County Executive and Council adopt this idea, metro transit's sales tax receipts would increase from 0.6 of a cent to a whole cent (including the additional quarter cent triggered in the City), a 67% increase. Whereas, County roads' allocation from the "transit" tax would increase from 0.15 to 0.50 of a cent on sales, i.e. a 233% increase.

Another idea is to ask the state legislature to double the original half-cent authorization to a penny. If any portion of this penny could continue to be allocated to roads, this idea would not protect transit's main source of funds, the "transit" sales tax.

A third idea is to ask the state legislature to authorize tandem quarter-cent sales taxes for transit and roads, making collection of either one depend on passage of the other's tax measure. This would oblige road advocates and transit advocates to campaign together to get both measures passed. If such legislation is premised on an agreement among County officials and legislators that all of the original half-cent tax would then be allocated to transit, metro transit's tax receipts would increase from 0.6 of a cent to 1.25 of a cent, a 108% increase. Whereas, County roads' allocation from the "transit" tax would increase from 0.15 to 0.25 of a cent, i.e. a 67% increase.

I encourage readers to express their preferences for transportation improvements and funding mechanisms, perhaps via a Transportation Summit at the county or metropolitan level. Meanwhile, let your local officials know what features you'd like to see in a transportation system, and how you feel about funding it.