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Transit director urges voters' authorization to raise sales tax to stabilize transit through 2029
Summary
The transit director proposed a November ballot measure to replace the existing 0.2% transit sales tax with a 1.3% tax to preserve current fare‑free service through 2029, maintain route frequency and fund downtown station operations; staff presented forecasts showing the transit fund becomes structurally imbalanced by 2029 under current rates.
Felice Laverne, director of transit, told the commission that transit operating costs have risen about 75% since 2014 and that the city’s current 0.2% transit sales tax will not sustain operations through the 2029 contract cycle without major service cuts. Laverne recommended a November ballot measure to repeal and replace the 0.2% tax with a 1.3% tax to cover operations, protect fare‑free service through 2029, and support a downtown station project.
Laverne presented two scenarios: keeping the existing 0.2% tax, which staff projected would likely force drastic service cuts by 2029, and adopting the larger local sales‑tax measure, which would extend runway through the current contract and provide time for procurement and negotiation of the next service contract. She emphasized that downtown station operating costs and staffing will require new local revenue and that federal grants act as a match tied to local funding.
Commissioners expressed interest in placing a question on the ballot, but sought contingency planning in case voters reject the increase and asked staff to model ridership/fare scenarios, the distribution of federal matching funds, and the labor‑cost drivers of transit expenses. Several commissioners suggested a lower sales‑tax ask could be considered; staff noted the need for timely public engagement if a ballot measure is to be placed this November.
