Agenda - 03-19-2013 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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8 1 incur the greatest burden with the least benefit. Rural attitudes were reflected in their 2 overwhelming opposition to the plan. 3 Tonight - on behalf of the growing number of citizens who want good transit, I ask that 4 you do not levy the vehicle fee. There are too many important issues that need to be worked 5 out. It's possible that Orange County can achieve many of its transit goals without ever adding 6 a vehicle fee. 7 As you now know, Durham has levied their sales tax, but not the vehicle fee. They feel 8 that it's important to have an interlocal agreement in place with the Durham city bus service 9 provider to assure that they will use the funds to advance transit goals. Orange County has no 10 similar agreement with Chapel Hill Transit, UNC or Orange Public Transit. 11 Durham County also wants to first to educate the public on the transit plan and how the 12 fees will be used. In doing so, Durham will have the opportunity to feature a park n ride in 13 Rougement and regional bus service to Wake County for their rural residents - a great time and 14 money saver - because these residents will no longer have to go through the city of Durham or 15 pay to park in the Capitol City. In contrast, Orange County is asking rural residents to pay 16 fees to fund Chapel Hill's free bus service. It's simply not fair. 17 Please wait to levy the vehicle until you've had a chance to educate the public, work out 18 the agreements with the bus service providers, and correct the rural/urban inequity built into the 19 funds." 20 21 Damian Seils encouraged the Board to adopt the three resolutions and said that the 22 Board already adopted the transit plan. He said that the transit plan describes both how transit 23 investments will be used and the funding sources. He said that the Board has adopted this and 24 the voters approved the levy of the 'A-cent sales tax. 25 Tony Blake said that he doubted that many residents are opposed to transit but they are 26 opposed to how the monies are being spent. He asked what would happen if the tax is not 27 matched by the government. He asked why Chapel Hill was advocating a transit program — 28 TTA - that is less successful than Chapel Hill Transit. He said that this was not a transit plan 29 but a transit trophy. He said that the people that need the services most are unlikely to benefit 30 from this plan. He said that Eno and Buckhorn economic development districts should be 31 included in this discussion. 32 Wib Gulley said that he is here to answer questions along with other staff from Triangle 33 Transit. 34 35 EMAILS—PUBLIC COMMENT 36 37 From: Troy Rountree 38 Phone Number: 9196070109 39 Message: 40 Come on guys don't make all your citizens pay for something used by a small percentage. 41 There has to be a better way! This kind of thing is why our county cannot come together on 42 anything. Rethink this, do we really need to tax the citizens that have no use for this and make 43 it free for the ones that do??? 44 45 From: Robin Lackey 46 Phone Number: 47 Message: 48 Hi, I just wanted to voice my concern on the taxes that will be discussed tonight. For one thing 49 the taxes are totally unfair all the way around. I and many neighbors do not have any use of the 50 transit system, so why should we have to pay for it? It does not benefit anyone in the rural