The Bay Area Transportation Authority needs voters to approve their millage and this time they’re asking for a little more.
The current millage expires at the end of this year.
On May 2nd, they’re asking for a four year millage that will cost taxpayers more.
Thursday night the League of Women Voters Grand Traverse Area is hosting a forum to help explain the millage.
9&10’s Megan Woods found out why BATA is asking for a raise.
It’s been more than 14 years since the last BATA millage and public transportation has changed since then.
Communications manager Eric Lingaur says, “We’ve gone from a system that provided roughly 300,000 rides to over half a million rides this year so as you can imagine our service level we’ve increased it and so we’re at the point where we need additional funding to be able to maintain and improve. If the millage proposal is not approved BATA will essentially lose 35% of its local funding so there would be a reduction in services needed until a local millage proposal was passed.”
The millage would cost a homeowner with a value of $200,000 to pay $16 more per year.
But some in the community say a millage increase is a ride they didn’t sign up for.
Heather Cerone, president of Alliance for Economic Freedom says, “As a resource in our community, we’re not a metropolitan area so it actually really isn’t economical for our area and I’m talking to senior citizens who are out there that are saying help senior citizens get from place to place I’m talking to senior citizens that say they cannot afford another tax increase they’re on fixed incomes.”
It’s concerns and questions like those, that the League of Women Voters plan to get addressed tonight.
Peggy Townsend, the voter services chair, says, “People can hear what the proposal is why it’s being asked for and to get views on it from different perspectives. In this case we’ll have BATA itself, and then people who use it, business people and another group (Groundwork) that’s working for communities and the best things for community.”
Click for more information on the millage proposal.
Email heathercerone12@gmail.com for more information on Alliance for Economic Freedom.
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