At its first meeting, RTA supports a referendum on a sales tax

Friday, March 05, 2010

From an article by Matthew DeFour in the Wisconsin State Journal:

The Dane County Regional Transit Authority Board at its first meeting Thursday pledged not to raise a sales tax for local transit without voters first approving a referendum.

As for whether such a referendum would be held in November as some have anticipated, Dick Wagner, who was unanimously elected chairman at the meeting, declined to hazard a guess.

"Nothing is definite," he said.

The 45-minute meeting drew a packed house of about 75 people. About a dozen of them spoke, some asking the board to set a date for the referendum in the coming months, and others noting that it might take more time to develop a transit plan.

Oregon resident Hans Noeldner asked the board to set a "no-later-than" date for the vote.

"Then the public would have an expectation," Noeldner said. "A lot of us have waited for it and we want to see results."