From: "Friends of Transit NEWS" To: "Friends of Transit NEWS" Subject: Rimsza wants tax extension Date: Monday, January 14, 2002 12:24 AM Rimsza wants tax extension Elvia Díaz and Tom Zoellner The Arizona Republic Jan. 12, 2002 http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/breaking/0112rail12b.html Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza says he will ask the Legislature for a referendum to prolong a sales tax to help pay not just for freeways, but a comprehensive regional light rail system. The tax, due to expire in four years, would provide a long-term source of funding for building the electric train network through 2025. It would also add at least 19 miles of track to the embryonic system, which is now planned to run 20 miles between downtown Phoenix and west Mesa. But first Rimsza must persuade other Valley mayors and tribal leaders who make up the Maricopa Association of Governments to take a vote endorsing his $9 billion tax proposal and send it to the Legislature in time to be considered this session. Once there, it will likely face scrutiny from House Transportation Committee chair Dean Cooley, who has expressed a lack of enthusiasm for embracing tax issues during the current tight economic climate. It could also conflict with a proposal from Gov. Jane Hull's Vision 21 task force to give transportation financing authority to an elected board with its own taxing power. The extension would be different from the freeway tax Maricopa County citizens have already been paying for 16 years. Instead of siphoning almost all revenue to road-building, the renewed tax would devote half the money to light rail construction and bus system upgrades, and the other half to freeway and arterial improvements. Still to be decided is where the new routes for the light rail system would be built, and who would administer the estimated $4.5 billion of revenue the tax would generate for the public transit system. MAG and the Regional Public Transportation Authority have already laid the political groundwork for the lobbying effort by commissioning a telephone poll of 626 Valley voters that suggests preliminary support for the tax extension. When asked if they would be willing to continue paying half a cent of sales tax for another 20 years if the money went to transportation improvements, 72 percent said they would "favor" or "strongly favor" the idea. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points. Poll respondents also listed light rail service as the solution they'd most like to see as an antidote to crowded freeways, with better bus service, more lanes and more freeways also mentioned. "This is huge," Rimsza said. "It shows the tide is turning toward a comprehensive transit system." It is not the first time he has championed an extension of the 1985 tax, which will ultimately raise $3.8 billion and has been credited with building most of the Valley's freeway network. Two years ago, Rimsza floated the idea of creating a statewide sales tax to build the light rail system as well as widen rural roads. The plan died for lack of support from local officials in Tucson and northern Arizona. RPTA's board of directors gave its blessing to Rimsza's proposal in a meeting Thursday. Executive Director Ken Driggs said he thinks the referendum would be most likely to pass in spring 2004 and not in the general election later that year when the issue might be overwhelmed by the passions of the presidential fracas. Jim Bourey, MAG's executive director, said agency members have discussed Rimsza's latest proposal but haven't endorsed it. The initial 1985 law had a provision that allowed for the extension, but lawmakers later removed it, thus giving themselves the power to refuse an extension, Bourey said. The initial 20.3-mile rail line between Phoenix, Mesa and Tempe, funded partially by local sales tax dollars in those cities, will cost an estimated $1 billion. Glendale also recently approved a sales tax hike to build a light rail train that would connect with the system in Phoenix. Regardless of its fate with the Legislature and the voters, the proposed sales tax extension will not affect the construction of the first 20.3-mile line, expected to be complete in late 2006.