Transit Funding Sales Tax Approved by Toledo-Area Voters

Toledo-area voters approved a new half-percent sales tax to fund the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA), reports David Patch in a paywalled article for the Toledo Blade.

"With 100 percent of Lucas County precincts reporting, preliminary results showed the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority proposal to collect a half-percent sales tax throughout the county carrying 54.9 percent of ballots cast, while in Rossford, preliminary final results showed almost exactly 60 percent of voters — 749 to 500 — supporting it," writes Patch.

TARTA officials "credited the sales tax’s success to supporters’ understanding the agency’s need for a more robust revenue stream to enable plans for better service," according to Patch.

The source article [paywall] includes more detail on what TARTA plans to do with the funding generated by the new half-cent sales tax—all currently up for discussion as part of the TARTA Next planning process. The sales tax is expected to generate about $32 million in annual revenue, "more than double the $13.5 million TARTA now receives from its levies," according to Patch. With the passage of the sales tax, the existing levies will be rescinded.