Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway announced today that he has appointed himself and Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Michael Mayo Sr. to the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority board.
The RTA is working to establish a commuter rail service in Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee counties (KRM).
Previously, Holloway said he would appoint himself and another member to the RTA board to vote against anything related to the KRM because he was upset that Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed a 0.5 percent sales tax increase for Milwaukee County to the fund the Milwaukee County Transit System, which the governor approved a rental car tax increase to pay for the KRM.
Holloway says solving the Milwaukee County bus systems financial woes should be the first priority before establishing a commuter rail service. Holloway said he is calling on the governor and the state Legislature to develop a new funding plan to provide a dedicated funding source for Milwaukee County buses.
"To be clear, I am not opposed to the KRM line," Holloway said. "In fact, I support it. But supporters of the KRM must first fix the bus system, otherwise the KRM will never happen. The federal government is unlikely to approve any funds for the KRM without dedicated funding for buses. The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission believes it would be embarrassing for the feds to approve funding for shiny new trains when our bus system is crumbling. They just won't do it. It's clear that the Governor's veto of dedicated funding for mass transit in Milwaukee County is jeopardizing not only our bus system, but the KRM line as well."
Holloway appoints himself and Mayo to RTA board
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