METRO Chair David Wolff calls for “restoring METRO’s birthright”

Voters okayed tax for transit

Vilas Bhuchar, Nov 17, 09.

METRO chairman David Wolff has called for a restoration of the 25% portion of its sales tax revenues that goes to Harris County and several cities every year. Speaking at a Greater Houston Partnership “State of Metro” event, Wolff said he didn’t feel that diverting the money was proper, considering voters had approved the tax for transit.

Wolff believes METRO can build significantly more if it has access to all of the 1 cent sales tax that was approved by voters when METRO was first established in 1978.

Along the way, 1/4 of this sales tax was diverted to the city, county, and multi-cities for the building of roads. I do not feel this was proper. This money was voted by people of this area for transit, and I think that one of the things that we have to work with the Mayor and the County Commissioners Court over the next five years - this agreement was just renewed in 2009 but expires in 2014 - is restoring to METRO this full one cent sales tax.

Wolff added that this loss of 1/4 of the 1 cent sales tax comes out to approximately $100 million lost annually. He says that this could support about $1.4 billion in bonding capacity “with a 7% constant.” When matched by federal funds, this would equate to about $2.8 billion in new capital, which is slightly more than METRO is spending on the five new light rail lines it is building. “So,” he said, “Metro could double what it’s doing if we’re able to negotiate and work with elected officials to restore our funding over the next five years.”

METRO has posted a 34-minute video of Wolff giving his presentation on November 5th. Wolff provides an overview of METRO’s history, what it has done to improve over the years, and how it plans to move forward.

In discussing Houston’s future, he compares the city’s light rail system to Dallas. Currently, Houston has 7.5 miles of light rail compared to Dallas’ 48 miles. Moving forward, Houston is in the process of building an additional 30 miles of light versus 42 more miles of light rail in Dallas. Thus, even after Houston adds 30 additional miles of light-rail, Dallas will still have more than twice the number of light rail miles as Houston.

Comments

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said:

The METRO Chairman has very poor recollection. In the plan approved by voters in 1978 (that’s right, 1978) that created METRO, use of a portion of METRO’s sales tax for road construction, including critical rail overpasses, was included. Ironic, considering METRO’s position on grade separation of the light rail line on the east side of town. In any case, use of some of METRO’s sale tax for roads IS METRO’s so-called birthright.

Then in the late 1980’s the public approved a plan that specifically designated 1/4 of the one-cent sales tax for such purposes. So, again, where is this “transit-only” birthright?

I don’t argue that the time has come to re-evaluate that 1/4 cent. Maybe METRO could look at how they might invest the 1/4 cent in transit-supportive roadway improvements—improvements tied to enhancing their light rail system operation or bus operation. THAT was the METRO birthright.

Lastly, the voters also approved a light rail plan in November 2003, with the first new line to open in 2008. We are nearly in 2010 with no new light rail. Dallas made it happen and then got approval of further expansion—the same could happen in Houston if METRO would just get it done. The METRO Chair seems to conveniently ignore that comparison of Dallas and Houston.

So maybe if METRO could deliver we might all feel more comfortable giving them the full one cent. Based on their track record since the November 2003 vote, my greatest hope is that some other agency take charge of commuter rail. I want my young children to enjoy a commuter rail system and I don’t see that happening with METRO at the helm.

Posted on Nov 17, 09 at 11:23 pm

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said:

Former Mayor Lanier was a thief who abused his powers to steal money from Houston Metro to fund street construction that was Houston’s responsibility. For the City of Houston to use that money is the same as receiving stolen property. Lanier tried to cripple Metro in the kind of crooked deal Houston is known for. Although I have been a Houston resident for decades and understand MY city’s funding challenges, Houston should immediately give Metro’s money back to the agency it was intended for without any transition period. End Lanier’s brazen SCAM now so we can get the rail transit we desperately need!

Posted on Nov 18, 09 at 1:12 am

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