October 25, 2007
As Chairman of the Vote Against Repeal campaign, I feel it is important to set the record straight concerning claims made by our opposition. The Vote Against Repeal campaign has made every effort to run a clean, ethical, and legal campaign. To say otherwise is a personal affront to my integrity which has been proven over six years of dedicated service on Charlotte's City Council.
TRAFFIC CONGESTION
Traffic congestion will most likely never be better than it is today and we have never said differently. Without a viable transit system, which includes buses, light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit, current and future commuters will be relegated to driving their cars. Without transit options, Mecklenburg County's dramatic population growth will result in worsening traffic congestion. This is a fact which has been realized in many other communities. Cities like Houston and Seattle have witnessed the slowing growth in traffic congestion due in part to improved transit investments.
PROPERTY TAXES
The Vote Against Repeal campaign has never said property taxes will be raised in 2007 as claimed by our opposition. We have said that, if over $65 million a year from the transit system budget is eliminated as a result of repeal efforts, funding sources and service level reductions must be identified to support ongoing bus and light rail operations as well as debt service payments. The property tax in each city and town is the only major revenue source available to fund transit programs.
FEDERAL FUNDING
Contrary to recent statements, a relationship clearly exists between federal funding and the sales tax levied in support of transit. Federal funds are matched by local sales tax revenue at a 2:1 ratio for the building of transit capital projects. The sales tax has already been matched by over $200 million in federal funds for bus and light rail improvements since 1998. Without the sales tax, we will not be eligible for future federal transit funds. Repealing the sales tax eliminates the required local matching funds needed to bring millions of federal transit dollars, our tax dollars, back to Mecklenburg County.
AIR QUALITY
Air quality in Mecklenburg County has reached a level that is critically close to missing federal standards. We face a serious risk of losing federal funding for future highway road projects, as Atlanta did in the late 1990's for the very same reason. Mass transit's air quality benefits, acknowledged and approved by federal environmental agencies, are a vital component in the complicated computer modeling program used to determine future air quality.
I hope my comments will help dispel any confusion regarding the intent of the Vote Against Repeal campaign. Consequences exist for every action taken. Repealing the sales tax that supports mass transit will have real and enduring consequences that should not be ignored for political convenience. The voters were correct in their 1998 decision to support transit and I urge you join us in Voting Against Repeal to Keep Mecklenburg Moving.
Pat Mumford
Chairman, Vote Against Repeal Campaign
By Pat Mumford
As Chairman of the Vote Against Repeal campaign, I feel it is important to set the record straight concerning claims made by our opposition. The Vote Against Repeal campaign has made every effort to run a clean, ethical, and legal campaign. To say otherwise is a personal affront to my integrity which has been proven over six years of dedicated service on Charlotte's City Council.
TRAFFIC CONGESTION
Traffic congestion will most likely never be better than it is today and we have never said differently. Without a viable transit system, which includes buses, light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit, current and future commuters will be relegated to driving their cars. Without transit options, Mecklenburg County's dramatic population growth will result in worsening traffic congestion. This is a fact which has been realized in many other communities. Cities like Houston and Seattle have witnessed the slowing growth in traffic congestion due in part to improved transit investments.
PROPERTY TAXES
The Vote Against Repeal campaign has never said property taxes will be raised in 2007 as claimed by our opposition. We have said that, if over $65 million a year from the transit system budget is eliminated as a result of repeal efforts, funding sources and service level reductions must be identified to support ongoing bus and light rail operations as well as debt service payments. The property tax in each city and town is the only major revenue source available to fund transit programs.
FEDERAL FUNDING
Contrary to recent statements, a relationship clearly exists between federal funding and the sales tax levied in support of transit. Federal funds are matched by local sales tax revenue at a 2:1 ratio for the building of transit capital projects. The sales tax has already been matched by over $200 million in federal funds for bus and light rail improvements since 1998. Without the sales tax, we will not be eligible for future federal transit funds. Repealing the sales tax eliminates the required local matching funds needed to bring millions of federal transit dollars, our tax dollars, back to Mecklenburg County.
AIR QUALITY
Air quality in Mecklenburg County has reached a level that is critically close to missing federal standards. We face a serious risk of losing federal funding for future highway road projects, as Atlanta did in the late 1990's for the very same reason. Mass transit's air quality benefits, acknowledged and approved by federal environmental agencies, are a vital component in the complicated computer modeling program used to determine future air quality.
I hope my comments will help dispel any confusion regarding the intent of the Vote Against Repeal campaign. Consequences exist for every action taken. Repealing the sales tax that supports mass transit will have real and enduring consequences that should not be ignored for political convenience. The voters were correct in their 1998 decision to support transit and I urge you join us in Voting Against Repeal to Keep Mecklenburg Moving.
Pat Mumford
Chairman, Vote Against Repeal Campaign
By Pat Mumford
