Label
All Council Members
Title
Approving the inclusion of Lucas County as a member of the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority without time limit; and declaring an emergency.
Summary
WHEREAS, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) exists as a political subdivision under the laws of the State of Ohio and is operated in the following jurisdictions (Member Communities): the City of Toledo, the City of Maumee, the City of Sylvania, the City of Rossford, the Village of Ottawa Hills, the City of Waterville and the Township of Sylvania; and
WHEREAS, TARTA provides transit services within the areas of the Member Communities which are within portions of Lucas and Wood County, Ohio; and
WHEREAS, TARTA currently derives funding from two ad valorem property taxes (one 1.0 mill levy and one 1.5 mill levy) for a total of 2.5 mills paid by the property owners within the area of TARTA; and
WHEREAS, several other Regional Transit Authorities in Ohio utilize a sales and use tax to fund operations, which funding system is viewed as a preferable method of funding because it is paid by nonresidents as well as residents; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Lucas County Commissioners established a community task force comprised of a broad cross section of leaders throughout the region to assess the state of public transportation in and around Lucas County; and
WHEREAS, in August of 2019 the final report of the task force, entitled Community Task Force: Public Transportation in Northwest Ohio, was issued and it recommended that Lucas County should be invited to become a member of TARTA and that a 0.5% sales tax levy be proposed to replace the inefficient property taxes; and
WHEREAS, a sales and use tax funding system requires the addition of Lucas County as one of TARTA's Member Communities; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of TARTA has approved a resolution directing its Chief Executive Officer to develop a plan for a new organizational ...
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