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Richard Hall
Transportation Authority of Marin Seeking to Raise Sales Tax Over 10%
The Transportation Authority of Marin and State Senator Mark McGuire are asking cities across Marin to endorse a measure that would provide an exemption allowing sales tax to be risen by 0.5% over the current 10% cap.
Transportation Authority of Marin, Nov 14, 2016 memo
This was buried in the agenda of tonight's San Rafael city council meeting. The document above provides a very unspecific rationale for the exemption:
"There is evidence that the public may
support an extend-and-expand option for Marin’s transportation related sales tax, allowing for more
transportation needs to be met."
TAM already receives a 0.5% tax, shouldn't this be enough? Is this preparation for SMART to return to the ballot box to capture another 1/4c to pay to extend SMART from Santa Rosa to Cloverdale? (which would benefit Marin very little, if at all). Is it for more special interests projects which seem to be rife across the county right now such as the Richmond San Rafael Bridge $50m+ bike path or Alto tunnel?
Why is this necessary? Why was this not better communicated?