No Transit Sales Tax Vote in Cincinnati

The Board of Trustees of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) voted last week not to place a countywide sales tax levy on the ballot this fall to fund the Cincinnati Metro system, according to an article by Hannah Sperling.

After the vote, Board Chair Kreg Keesee said SORTA will likely have to raise fares and cut service for the Metro system as a result, but the board could not reach consensus on a levy for the fall ballot. "I do not believe that the current environment provides a clear path to victory at the polls even if consensus had been reached," wrote Keesee in a statement quoted by Sperling in the article.

The fallout from the decision has hit transit advocates hard. A follow up article by Sperling says the board received a tongue lashing the day after the decision. Better Bus Coalition President Cam Hardy told the board they should delete their mission statement, which targets 20 million rides a year by 2021, according to Sperling.

Also expressing disappointment in the decision is Neil Kelly, an opinion contributor writing for the Cincinnati Enquirer, who says, "without a robust Metro system, I am screwed."

To many of you reading this, Metro may seem like a burden to your wallets every year. But to me, Metro means freedom and independence. That's why I was excited to advocate to anybody that would listen to vote for a Metro tax levy to give me even more freedom.

Now, to be blunt, to call me disappointed and disheartened in the SORTA Board is an understatement. I don't care about political realities. I don't care about internal polls. And I don't care that Metro, as Hoffmeister quipped, doesn't "have a Fiona to help us pass this."

I care about rate increases. I care about cuts to routes. I care about the sustainability of my reliable transportation to work. I care about my freedom.