AG 1999 06 21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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NCDOT to be distributed to public transit agencies to assist with operating costs. Another significant step in transit fundin~ occurred in 1997. The General A.~mblv i~l~l~roved a bi~ll_authorizin? Me~klenburp County to nlaee before the voters a auestion as to whether or I19I .the County should be allowed to use a nne-half cent increase in the local aa. les tax to suovort public.transit expansion and n_neratin? t~nat~.~. The tax was approved by the voters in November of 1998 and is expected to be levied by Mecklenburg County as part of the FY 2000 budget process. Anticipated revenues from the tax are $50 million the first year. The implication for the Concord / Kannapolis area is that connectivity with Mecklenburg County and Charlotte will increase, there will be increasing opportunities for transit services in the corridor and a sharing of the costs for improved levels of transit service will probably be proposed. Such sharing could also affect the timing of service improvements for the community and allow more rapid implementation. Also, TEA-21, the 1998 comprehensive transportation re-authorization bill approved by the US Congress, eliminated most categories of operating assistance (Capital Maintenance remains an eligible category). This places increasing emphasis on providing transit services that meet recognized mobility needs and applying available resources to meet those needs. Further, funding for services requires the creative identification of partners (frequently private sector partners) to meet funding shortfalls and allow participation by those that share in the benefits of service. Nationally, shopping centers are seeing the advantages of financially supporting transit services to malls and not only for shoppers. Increasingly, finding employees to meet needs also involves making sure they can get to the mall. Thus, access to jobs is typically important public/private sector collaboration and one where joint funding provides clear advantages to business and the community. Published reports indicate that 3,000 to 3,500 people will work at Concord Mills. It is anticipated that a significant number of these jobs will be filled within the immediate area. A dialog with representatives of Concord Mills should be established as soon as possible to begin exploring their interest in assisting to meet employee transportation needs. Summary of Available Funding Sources Fare Box Revenue City/County General Funds (Property Taxes) Local Sales Taxes Automobile Licensing Fees Advertising Revenues State Grants (operating and capital) Bond Funds (voter approval required) Federal Grants (primarily capital expenditures) Private Source 14