The Tom Warne Report - Ballot Initiatives 2006

The Tom Warne Report, Volume 3, No. 42 - November 1, 2006

Editor’s Note: The democratic process is in full swing and transportation is a hot topic in many parts of the country. Our November 10th issue of the Tom Warne Report will highlight the outcomes of the various transportation initiatives up for vote on the 7th. In the mean time, we thought it might be of interest for our readers to see just how many ballot measures relating to transportation there were this year. We don’t suggest that this list is exhaustive. If you know of one that is not listed please email me at twarne@tomwarne.com and we’ll add it to our report in two weeks. If you are involved in promoting one of these we wish you the best at the ballot box on the 7th. If you aren’t, then maybe there is something to learn from someone else who has gone through this process. Thanks. Tom

In This Special Election Edition

	MAY 2006 BALLOT
	AUGUST 8, 2006 BALLOT
	NOVEMBER 2006 BALLOT

MAY 2006 BALLOT

Ohio, Canton

Initiative: Five-year extension of a .25 cent sales tax that expires in 2007
Amount: $11.5 million annually for bus service in Stark County
Status: APPROVED 57% - 43%

Arizona, Tucson

Initiative: Half-cent sales tax increase for transportation and a regional transportation plan
Amount: $2.1 billion
Status: Plan APPROVED 60% - yes
Increase APPROVED 58% - yes

Arizona, Flagstaff

Initiative: Transportation sales tax increase from .0017 to .0033 cents, removal of sales and transit tax sunset dates, and an increase in city expenditure limits by $25 million
Amount: $100 million annually
Status: DEFEATED 47%-53%

California, Merced County

Initiative: Revised expenditure plan
Status: DEFEATED 63 % - 37% (Required 2/3 to pass)

California, Monterey County

Initiative: New tax to fund 14 different transportation plan projects, including rail and bus service
Status: DEFEATED 57% - 43% (Required 2/3 to pass)

California, Napa County

Initiative: Half cent sales tax to fund transportation improvements in the county
Amount: $537 million over thirty years
Status: DEFEATED 52 % - 48% (Required 2/3 to pass)

California, Santa Clara County

Initiative: Quarter-cent sales tax to fund a variety of projects, including a BART extension to San Jose
Status: DEFEATED 42% - 58%

California, Solano County

Initiative: 30-year, half-cent sales tax increase, 19% of the total funding to support commuter and senior transit
Amount: $1.57 billion
Status: DEFEATED 46% - 55%

Oregon, Salem

Initiative: Five-year property tax increase plan to expand bus service and other transit projects
Amount: $28 million over five years
Status: DEFEATED 52% (Y)-48% (N) (50% Turnout of registered voters required for tax increases)

AUGUST 8, 2006 BALLOT

Michigan, Benzie County

Initiative: 5-year, .5 mills increase for local transit service
Amount: $500K annually
Status: APPROVED 58% -yes

Michigan, Kalkaska County

Initiative: 0.25 mills increase for five years for the Kalkaska Public Transportation Authority
Amount: $160K annually
Status: APPROVED 60% - yes

Michigan, Macomb, Wayne and Macomb Counties

Initiative: 4-year, 0.6-mill property tax renewal for the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART)
Amount: $50 million annually reflecting about half the agency's budget
Status: APPROVED 70% - yes

Michigan, Manistee County

Initiative: .33 mill tax levy to expand the county's Dial-a-Ride public transportation service
Amount: $300K annually over the next 7 years
Status: APPROVED 76% - yes

Michigan, Wexford County

Initiatives: 1) Renew .4 mills levy for four more years 2) New, 4-year .2 mills tax
Amount: 1) $360K annually 2) $180K annually
Status: (1) Increase APPROVED 70% - yes (2) Increase APPROVED 61% - yes

NOVEMBER 2006 BALLOT

The following initiatives will be determined on November 7, 2006:

Arizona, Statewide

Initiative: Prop. 104 would allow cities and towns to include debt for the acquisition and development of streets and transportation facilities, among others, in the 20% debt limit.
Status: Pending

California, Statewide

Initiative: Proposition 1A (Transportation Funding Protection) would close the loophole that allows state legislators to divert gasoline sales tax revenue from transportation to other state uses.
Amount: N/A
Status: Pending

California, Statewide

Initiative: Prop. 1B: $37.3 billion infrastructure bond package
Amount: Almost $20 billion for transportation projects, including public transport
Status: Pending

California, Statewide

Initiative: Proposition 1C would approve a bond to fund development near transit and affordable housing projects.
Amount: $2.8 billion
Status: Pending

California, Fresno County

Initiative: To extend Measure C, a half-cent sales tax for transportation. The current tax is scheduled to expire at the end of the year.
Status: Pending

California, Kern County

Initiative: Measure I: 20-year, half-cent sales tax increase for projects including roads and pubic transportation.
Amount: $1 billion
Status: Pending

California, Marin and Sonoma Counties

Initiative: A two-county, quarter-cent sales tax measure to fund a regional passenger rail service from Cloverdale to Larkspur
Amount: $340 to build and $10-12 million a year to operate
Status: Pending

California, Merced County

Initiative: Measure G would raise the sales tax in Merced City to 8.25% for transportation improvements
Amount: $446 million over 30 years
Status: Pending

California, Orange County

Initiative: 30 year extension of Measure M, which allocates all sales tax revenues to specific Orange County transportation improvement projects including freeways, streets and transit. Currently set to expire in 2011.
Amount: $11.8 billion through 2041
Status: Pending

California, Tulare County

Initiative: Measure R: ½ Cent sales tax on retail transactions for 30 years to fund construction, maintenance, improvements, and operations countywide.
Status: Pending

California, San Joaquin County

Initiative: Renewal of Measure K, a half-cent sales tax. The renewal would set aside 30% of total revenue for public transportation
Amount: $2.5 billion over 30 years
Status: Pending

California, Santa Barbara County

Initiative: Extend Measure D, a half-cent sales tax for transportation for 30-years
Amount: Estimated $1 billion over 30 years
Status: Pending

California, Stanislaus County

Initiative: Measure K would impose .5% retail transactions and use tax for 30 years for local transportation uses.
Status: Pending

California, West Placer County

Initiative: A half-cent sales tax increase from 7.25% to 7.75% to fund transportation projects
Status: Pending

Colorado, Boulder County

Initiative: Issue 1A is a 0.2% (2 cents per $10 purchase) countywide sales tax that will decrease to 0.05% after December 31, 2020 to fund improvements to public transit, provide incentives to increase transit use, and dramatically improve our countywide trail network for commuting and recreation.
Status: Pending

Florida, Broward County

Initiative: A 30-year, one-cent sales tax increase for transportation for a transit investment plan
Amount: $12.6 billion, $5.4 billion of which would fund new buses, regional rail, and light rail
Status: Pending

Michigan, Holland

Initiative: 0.4-mill increase tax to expand Macatawa Area Express (MAX) bus service
Amount: $973,000 annually for five years
Status: Pending

Michigan, Kalamazoo

Initiative: A 0.45-mill addition to the existing property tax rate to support Metro Transit's system
Status: Pending

Minnesota, Statewide

Initiative: Constitutional amendment to dedicate car and truck sales taxes exclusively to transportation, including public transportation initiatives
Amount: $300 million annually
Status: Pending

Missouri & Kansas, Kansas City

Initiative: Extend 3/8-cent sales tax for 25 years that currently goes to the local bus system, currently scheduled to expire in 2009. The $975-million proposal would install a 27-mile light rail line estimated to cost $945 million; an electric shuttle bus line, and an aerial gondola connecting local parks.
Amount: $24 million annually
Status: Pending

New Jersey, Statewide

Initiative: Dedicate all revenue from the State Motor Fuels tax to the Transportation Trust fund. Currently, 1.5 cents goes to the state general fund.
Amount: $79 million
Status: Pending

Ohio, Franklin County

Initiative: Impose a .25 percent sales tax levy for ten years to fund regional transit
Amount: $45 million annually
Status: Pending

Rhode Island, Statewide

Initiative: Approval of a bond issue
Amount: $80 million to highways and bridges, $7 million for regional commuter rail, and $l.5 million for Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) buses
Status: Pending

Texas, Corinth

Initiative: Would allow the city to join the Denton County Transportation Authority
Amount: N/A
Status: Pending

Texas, Grapevine

Initiative: A 1/2 cent sales tax dedicated to the regional commuter rail service connecting the exurban city to Fort Worth
Amount: $9 million annually
Status: Pending

Utah, Salt Lake County

Initiative: A quarter-cent sales-tax increase to support highway and transit expansion, including light rail and regional rail
Status: Pending

Utah, Utah County

Initiative: A quarter-cent sales-tax increase to support highway and transit expansion, and regional rail
Amount: $1.3 billion over 30 years
Status: Pending

Washington, King County

Initiative: A 0.1-cent sale tax increase is proposed to fund transit service
Amount: $50 million annually
Status: Pending

Washington, Seattle

Initiative: A property tax increase for transportation improvements
Amount: $365 million over 9 years
Status: Pending

Washington, Selah City

Initiative: Increase city sales tax by 3/10 of a cent to pay for bus service after the grant currently funding the service expires on June 30, 2007
Status: Pending

Washington, Spokane

Initiative:Prop. 1: would allow officials to identify funding sources and create a funding plan for construction of a light rail system.
Status: Pending

Washington, Spokane

Initiative: Prop. 2: A light rail advisory measure would allow The Spokane Transit Authority (STA) to begin purchase of right-of-way and conduct preliminary design for the project.
Status: Pending

Washington, Union Gap

Initiative: Raise the sales tax from 7.9 percent to 8.1 percent to pay for expanded bus services
Status: Pending

The links below are excellent resources for additional information on these initiatives:

Sources:

The Center for Transportation Excellence http://www.cfte.org/success/2006BallotMeasures.asp

The Light Rail Now Project http://www.lightrailnow.org/news/n_lrt_2006-10a.htm

We have checked numerous sources to verify information about the preceding ballot measures. If you have any changes or updated information, please send it to twreport@tomwarnereport.com.

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