transit tax

Transit sales tax in Durham/Orange effective April 1

The 1/2% transit sales tax in Durham and Orange Counties taxes becomes effective Monday April 1, so if you are imbibing out past midnight on Sunday, tip your glass to regional transit.

The $7 county vehicle registration fee for transit takes effect a bit later, July 1 in Orange and September 1 in Durham. The $3 TTA Durham/Orange regional fee surcharge is still plodding through the approval process.

Commissioners Authorize Transit Tax and Other Fees

This week in Transit: hearing Tues, votes Tues/Fri

Folks, it's almost here. Orange County Commissioners will hold mandatory public hearings on three items at 7 pm Tues 12/11 Southern Human Services Center Homestead Rd:

1/2% Durham/Orange sales tax,
$7 annual Orange County vehicle registration fee, and
$3 Durham/Orange vehicle registration fee.

Commissioners have all three items on the agenda right after the hearing. The Durham Commissioners had their hearing and final vote on the sales tax two weeks ago. If approved by Orange, then the TTA Board will vote on the sales tax Friday at 1 pm, and that will be final vote. Collections would begin 4/1/13.

The Transit Referendum: Support and Opposition

For better or for worse, our local media works hard to give equal air time to both sides of the story. Some may fault them as giving too much voice to an opinion which represents a small minority of residents, others may thank them for giving life to a discussion. Regardless of what you think, it's sometimes difficult to cut through the noise. So where does the community stand on the whole?

Primer on Transit Referendum and Associated Transit Plan

It turns out that many people are uninformed or misinformed about the specifics of the transit tax and the plan. Foks don't even realize that there's a plan behind the tax referendum, and that a vote for the tax endorses it. If the tax passes, the BoCC and TTA have the authority to levy the tax and proceed with the plan. .

Without debating the pros and cons of transit , I hope that readers take a few minutes to understand the plan. We sent the primer below to our mailing list. It includes links to the plan and the financial information.

Primer on Transit Plan, Taxes and Fees

Voters will decide a 1/2 cent tax increase for transit. Please take a few minutes to learn about this tax and the underlying plan before you vote.

Half a Cent for Our Transit Future

In a February work session of the county commissioners, Chapel Hill mayor Mark Kleinschmidt took the podium to present a sweeping overview of the past 25 years of his town's approach to land use planning. Speaking with the didactic urgency we now expect from Kleinschmidt when he's both prepared and fired up, the mayor encouraged the commissioners to maintain their commitment to long-term planning for public transportation by adopting the Orange County transit plan.

The Social Justice of Public Transit

After years of planning and community discussion, the Orange County Board of Commissioners recently placed a referendum on the November ballot for a half-cent sales tax to support public transit. Together with state and federal contributions, the new revenue will support a 20-year investment in bus and rail service in Orange County. There are many reasons to support the transit tax, like reducing the environmental degradation wreaked by overreliance on car travel and the sprawl it generates. Often overlooked are the benefits of public transit for marginalized populations.

Live Tweeting the Commissioners' Transit Hearing

Our Turn for Transit

The Orange County Board of Commissioners will vote in May, one week after the primary election, whether to put a half-cent transit tax on the ballot for voters to decide. The transit tax is a critical component of our region's long-term transit and growth plans, and it's time for Orange County voters to join Durham County and vote for expanded transit service to ensure a more sustainable Orange County in the future.

Speak Up For Transit This April!

Orange County today announced that two public hearings on the transit tax and overall transit plan will be held in April. The hearings are designed to elicit feedback from members of the public on how the County should approach transit in the coming years. They will be part of regularly-scheduled meetings of the County Board of Commissioners, and will have two general parts.

First, a presentation will be given to detail various elements of the plan: the legislative issues involved in issuing the tax, the partnership with Durham County, the revenues, the expenditures, the timeline, etc. Second, members of the public will have the chance to speak on the plan by making comments, offering suggestions or posing questions.

The first hearing will be held in Hillsborough on April 3 at the Social Services in Hillsborough Commons. The second hearing will be at the on April 17 in Chapel Hill at the Southern Human Services. Be sure to come out and urge the commissioners to support transit and put the tax on the ballot this Fall!

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