CFTE Update
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Issue Archive
CFTE Update
August 10, 2006 - Vol. 4, No. 10
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In this issue …
• New CFTE Study Documents Dramatic Voter Support
for Transportation Ballot Measures
• Seven Michigan Counties Approve Property Tax Ballot Measures
to Fund Transportation
New CFTE Study Documents Dramatic Voter Support for Transportation
Ballot Measures
VOTERS APPROVE 70 PERCENT OF TRANSPORTATION BALLOT MEASURES
The Center for Transportation Excellence (CFTE) has released a
new report examining transportation-related ballot measures since
2000. The report, "Transportation
Finance at the Ballot Box:Voters Support Increased Investment,"outlines
the striking rise in the use of voter-approved ballot measures to
generate funding for transportation choices. CFTE analyzed more
than 200 state and local ballot measures related to transportation
since 2000. According to the report, voters in 33 different states
have approved 70 percent of all proposed transportation measures
generating funding conservatively estimated in the excess of $70
billion. Transportation measures have passed at twice the rate of
all ballot measures. The CFTE research also details trends in voter-approved
financing for transportation. More than 80 percent of all transportation
ballot measures since 2000 have specifically authorized financing.
The report found support across the board for a variety of funding
tools, including sales taxes, property taxes, bonds, and dedicated
fees.
Seven Michigan Counties Approve Property Tax Ballot Measures
to Fund Transportation
VOTERS UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO INVEST IN TRANSPORTATION
On August 8, voters in 7 Michigan counties approved various measures
to levy property taxes to fund local transportation systems. Wayne
, Oakland and Macomb counties voted to renew a transit millage that
supports the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation
(SMART). SMART provides bus services to the suburbs surrounding
Detroit . In Wexford, voters approved two proposals. The first was
a proposal to renew the current tax and the second proposal was
to levy an additional tax to fund transportation. Benzie and Kalkaska
counties voted to approve a tax increase to fund transportation
and voters in Manistee also approved to a tax to fund the counties
Dial-A-Ride bus service. These election results indicate that voters
in Michigan are increasingly aware that investing in transportation
is vital for the future.
Updated 2006 Election Results
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