Washington County hearing on transit tax

Pioneer Press Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:15:21 -0600
Washington County seeks public feedback on sales tax for transit

Washington County commissioners want to know what residents think about increasing the sales tax 0.25 percent to pay for trains and buses. So, instead of meeting Tuesday at their regular time of 9 a.m., when many county residents may be at work, they'll meet at 5 p.m. Commissioner Bill Pulkrabek, who pushed for the evening meeting, said it's important to allow public feedback when dealing with an issue of this magnitude. "You're talking about a tax ... in Washington County that would generate in the ballpark of $5 million year â€" to not have a public hearing or comment period is wrong," he said. The meeting will take place at the Washington County Government Center board room in Stillwater. Provision for the tax was part of a $6.6 billion transportation bill passed by the Legislature in February. The law allows seven metro counties to form the Metropolitan Transportation Area and impose a 0.25 percent sales tax and a $20 excise tax on the purchase of a vehicle from a dealer. The money would be pooled and pay for developing and running such projects as rail lines and higher-speed busways.

[[keywords: PublicWorks;PropertyTax;Metro;]]