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Transit supporters push for sales tax to fund Milwaukee County buses
Published March 12, 2010 - BizTimes Daily
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A coalition of Wisconsin business and labor officials, mayors, environmentalists and others urged the Legislature on Thursday to approve regional transit systems, which they say will help to ease congestion, improve transportation and create jobs.
The proposals would remove the costs of regional transit from the property tax rolls and create a new dedicated sales tax. The proposals include a 0.5 percent sales tax increase in Milwaukee County to create a regional transit authority (RTA) to operate the Milwaukee County bus system.
Supporters said they had delivered letters to lawmakers in Madison from business leaders representing companies that employ 100,000 people in the Milwaukee area and from labor unions representing 250,000 members in southeastern Wisconsin urging approval of a regional transit plan. Much of the conflict lies with the organization and method of paying for a regional transit system in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.
Both the governor's plan and a plan by some Democratic lawmakers would pay for the Milwaukee County transit authority with a half-cent sales tax increase. However, Doyle's plan relies on paying for transit in Kenosha and Racine counties to be covered by hotel, rental car or property taxes. The other proposal would have the state pick up the tab. Republican critics, especially in the Milwaukee area, have opposed new taxes to pay for mass transit.
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, a Republican candidate for governor, said, “"Now is not the time to propose a tax increase. We need more reasons to attract jobs to our area. A tax increase takes us in the wrong direction.”
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