LWVKA 2008 Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority Proposal

Shall the Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority, a county-wide transportation authority, levy a tax for public transportation of up to 0.63 mills in 2008; up to 0.77 mills in 2009; up to 0.85 mills in 2010; and up to 0.86 mills in 2011?

This millage shall apply to the taxable value of all taxable property within Kalamazoo County and shall be levied in December of each year 2008 through 2011. This millage is estimated to raise $4,998,933 in its first year.

YES NO

Background
The purpose of this graduated millage is to support the countywide transportation system for the next four years.

The Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority (KCTA) was established by the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners in 2005 to create a unified county public transportation system by January 2009. In the past, the City of Kalamazoo operated Metro Transit, with other units of government providing funds to help support service to their areas.
Public transportation includes fixed route bus service; para-transit service for persons who are unable to use the fixed route buses; an on-demand curb-to-curb service available for all county residents to travel anywhere in the county; and a community service van program that provides passenger vans for non-profit activities.
KCTA will be funded by federal and state funds and local millage funds, in addition to farebox revenue (the cost to ride public transportation).
Farebox revenue accounts for 18% of the funds needed to operate the system.
Local millage funding accounts for 23% of the funds necessary to operate the system and local support required in order to receive federal and state funds.
In November 2006 voters in Kalamazoo County approved a millage to fund a countywide transit system, authorizing KCTA to levy up to .45 mills (45 cents per thousand dollars of taxable value of taxable property) for two years. KCTA levied .45 mills in 2007 and .38 mills in 2008. This millage, which will expire at the end of 2008, supported three new fixed routes in Portage and the addition of evening and Saturday Care-A-Van service.
Voters in the City of Kalamazoo voted in 2007 to renew a one-year millage of 1 mill in addition to the countywide millage. As a result, City of Kalamazoo residents have been paying a total of 1.38 mills during 2008 for public transportation. This millage also expires at the end of 2008.

If voters approve this request, .63 mills will be added to the December 2008 tax bill, payable by February 1, 2009, up to .77 mills payable in 2010, up to .85 mills payable in 2011 and up to .86 mills payable in 2012. Any year during the millage, KCTA may choose to levy less than the full amount of the millage if the funds are not required to sustain the system, as occurred in 2008.

Impact on people living in the City of Kalamazoo: Their millage rate will decrease from 1.38 mills in 2008 to .63 mills—a reduction in 2009 of .75 mills or approximately $75 less for a family with a home whose taxable value is $100,000.
Impact on people living in the county outside of the City of Kalamazoo: Their millage rate will increase from .38 mills in 2008 to .63 mills—an increase in 2009 of .25 mills or $25 per year for a family with a home valued at $100,000.

The source of this information is the Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority Public Education Fact Sheet.

These statements are not intended to indicate either support or opposition to the proposal by the League of Women Voters. We encourage voters to consider the background and other information, as needed, when they vote.