WRTA begins task of drumming up support for its sales tax

WRTA begins task of drumming up support for its sales tax

YOUNGSTOWN — The head of the Western Reserve Transit Authority admits getting approval from Mahoning County voters for a 0.25-percent sales tax on the March 4 ballot to fund the transportation agency is a tough sell.

But James Ferraro, WRTA’s executive director, said today he’s up for the challenge.

“If we’re going to be talking about sales tax around the county, we’ve got to be prepared to offer service to those areas,” he said. “That’s one challenge that we just can’t wait to [meet]; to show some of the outlying areas the great return for their quarter” of a percent.

WRTA’s goal is to get approval for the sales tax that would raise about $7.5 million annually for five years. If the sales tax is approved, the bus agency would eliminate two property taxes in the city of Youngstown that raise $2.7 million a year.

The sales tax would add close to $5 million to WRTA’s annual budget in comparison to the property taxes.

But Ferraro said WRTA has lost more than $2 million in state and federal funding over the past two years, forcing the agency to cut its service by about 50 percent.

For the complete story, see Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.