WRTA levy to appear on March ballot
WRTA levy to appear on March ballot
YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Commissioners unanimously passed in a special meeting today a resolution to place a 0.25 percent, five-year sales tax on the March 4 primary ballot to support countywide bus service by the Western Reserve Transit Authority.
The sales tax, which would raise $7.5 million a year, would replace two property tax levies in the city of Youngstown, which total 5 mills and together raise $2.5 million a year for the authority, which now serves Youngstown and some of its immediate suburbs.
Youngstown City Council has a similar resolution on its 5:30 p.m. Wednesday meeting agenda, and the WRTA trustees will have a special meeting at 8 a.m. Thursday at the authority’s headquarters on Mahoning Avenue to concur in placing the sales tax for the ballot. The county elections board deadline for March 4 ballot issues is 4 p.m. Thursday.
Due to state and federal funding cuts, the WRTA has been forced this year to reduce service by about 50 percent, eliminating evening, Warren and Saturday service and thinning out schedules on its remaining routes.
The property tax levies in Youngstown and the fare box are the only significant local revenues for WRTA, said James Ferraro, the authority’s executive director.
If the sales tax passes, collections would start 90 days later and the new revenues would flow to WRTA 90 days after collections begin, so the authority projects countywide bus service would begin in fall 2008, Ferraro said.
For the complete story, see Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.