New developments relating to the ½ cent Transportation sales tax - on 8/23 - the Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust (CITT) overwhelmingly voted in favor of unwinding the unification of the surtax dollars next fiscal year.
Thank you to CITT members Evan Fancher, Paul Scwhiep (Paul is a Palmetto Bay resident) and members of the CITT for the 6-1 vote. The vote prohibits county from raiding half-penny tax.
Why is this important? This removes use of the ½ cent sales tax money for operations and maintenance and makes this money available for its originally intended purpose.
Is it over? No. This action now goes to the County Commission for action.
An important step in achieving a more equitable & sustainable transportation system that respects what the voters mandated when they approved a half-penny sales tax
As I promised, I will continue to post updates and documents to this blog.
First update: See Miami Herald online, 8/25/18, by Doug Hanks: How an obscure Miami-Dade transit board may snag $95 million to expand Metrorail:
The Miami-Dade board that oversees the county’s half-percent transportation tax has launched an unprecedented attempt to cut off a $95 million subsidy of bus and rail operations in order to save the money for new transit projects.
It would be the first time the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust exercised its power to try to block the county from subsidizing operating costs with a tax that was intended to pay for expanding public transit. The tax generates roughly $290 million a year.
“Let’s just stop them from doing this,” board member Evan Fancher said before the Thursday vote to withdraw authorization for the County Commission to spend the tax on operating subsidies. “Let’s move forward.”
I will continue to keep you up to date on the progress.
Your Mayor,
Eugene Flinn
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