A Referendum on Public Transit

This November, voters in Milwaukee County will likely participate in a referendum on whether we should reduce property taxes by $67 million by funding public transit, parks, and emergency medical services with a new 1 percent sales tax.

Because it is in the most danger of being left unfunded in the coming years, I am going to focus on the public transit aspect of this and why it is so crucial to our community.

Due to rising gas prices, public transportation is becoming more attractive. Even before gas prices were so high, our transit system served 150,000 rides every average weekday. Forty-three percent of those rides were to work.

Milwaukee County’s system is one of the last without a dedicated funding source and because of this, we have fallen behind. Since 2001, more than 46 routes have been cut completely or scaled back.

Fares have also gone up more in the last seven years than in any seven-year period over the last 70 years. Currently, 150 buses that have exceeded their useful life are still in service, causing an increase in breakdowns of 33 percent over the last year.

By removing transit from the property tax rolls and switching to a dedicated sales tax, Milwaukee County will be able to more realistically invest in this valuable infrastructure and plan for the future. It will help ensure that crucial routes are maintained and fares are more affordable. Milwaukee County’s business community is also on board.

“You look around the country. Every major metropolitan—almost every major metropolitan area—funds their transit system with a dedicated portion of the sales tax. And so we think that’s an appropriate way to raise the revenue that we need to run a transit system to connect people to jobs,” Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, recently told WUWM public radio.

Another benefit Milwaukee County would receive from removing these services from our property tax rolls is that we could reduce the county’s property tax levy to its lowest point in over 10 years. This would average out to about a $165 property tax reduction for county homeowners.

Finally, by switching to a dedicated sales tax, those who do not pay property taxes in Milwaukee County but continue to use our services would be paying more of their fair share. About 36 percent of sales tax revenues come from visitors who do not live in Milwaukee County but take advantage of the county’s many attractions.

Early in September, the County Board will consider overriding Scott Walker’s veto to ensure that the referendum question reaches the ballot Nov. 4. Then, the future of Milwaukee County’s transit system (and parks) will be in the hands of voters.

Chris Larson is county supervisor of District 14, which encompasses southern parts of Bay View, the airport, and other parts of Milwaukee’s southeast side. He can be reached at chris.larson@milwcnty.com or (414) 278-4252.

Beginning this issue, Supervisors Larson and Dimitrijevic will rotate their contributions.