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County yet to decide on sales tax hike |
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Tuesday, 11 March 2008 |
Cliff Buchan
News Editor
It should take another two weeks for the Washington County Board of Commission to decide if it will approve a new metro-wide sales tax to support transit programs.
County Board Chair Dennis Hegberg, District One, Forest Lake, said he is optimistic the county board will adopt the tax. Under the transportation-funding bill adopted by legislature, counties in the metro area are given the option of adding a .25 additional sales tax.
“I think we will go,” Hegberg said this week. “That tells you where I’m leaning.”
While Ramsey, Hennepin and Anoka counties seem certain to adopt the transit sales tax hike, Hegberg said his county will need another two weeks to collect information and analyze the topic before taking action.
He is predicting a decision will come at the county board regular meeting on Tuesday, March 25.
Hegberg says the county has much to gain by being involved in the planning process for transit, something that won’t be as likely if the county does not opt it.
“If we don’t vote for it, we won’t be at the table to decide on it,” Hegberg said.
Right now, Hegberg says, the county produces about 5 percent of the total sales tax in the metro area.
He said the county board is still waiting for details on what the economic impact will be in the county from the tax and to review any transit use limitations that the county may have in place now.
Hegberg says if approved the county will have new funds available to maintain the commuter bus service that now runs from the new county transit center in Forest Lake to Minneapolis, and have funds to get the Rush Line commuter bus service going to St. Paul, with a stop certain at the Forest Lake Transit Center.
Currently, Hegberg says, the Minneapolis line has federal funding through January of 2009, but the future is uncertain after that date. New funding will also be important in building the St. Paul routes, he added.
Hegberg, a supporter of transit programs, said he will encourage fellow commissioners to consider the sales tax as a vehicle to help establish and build transit programs. Metro busways are one of the areas the sales tax will fund along with rail programs.
As the county continues to age, Hegberg said he believes it is wise to support needs that will help a population base that will need transit options. “We have no systems to transport people,” he said.
The additional tax and the expanded gasoline tax that goes into effect in April won’t be miracle workers, he said.
The additional gas tax dollars for Washington County will be helpful but the total impact needs to be kept in proper context, he said.
Right now, Hegberg says, the county has 43 signal lights on the planning board that meet warrants for construction. At $250,000 per signal, it will take the county six years to do them all, he said.
A similar situation holds when W. Broadway Avenue improvements in Forest Lake are considered. If the new revenue is applied only to the Forest Lake project, it would take five to six years to raise funds to cover all the needs, he said.
“On an annual basis, it doesn’t have much of an impact,” he said of the gas tax increase in Washington County.
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