Oakland County to vote on public transit with SMART service on the ballot
Future of SMART transportation in Oakland County is on the ballot
Voters there will decide on a tax hike for some communities that would provide millions for SMART to run countywide, as well as funding for smaller transportation providers like western and northern Oakland transportation authorities and the Older Persons' Commission.
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Public transit is on the ballot and Tuesday we’ll find out if Oakland County is on board.
Voters there will decide on a tax hike for some communities that would provide millions for SMART to run countywide, as well as funding for smaller transportation providers like western and northern Oakland transportation authorities and the Older Persons' Commission.
"It’s going to help people, our most vulnerable people including our seniors, our workers, our disabled, our veterans in every community in Oakland County," said Executive David Coulter.
Coulter says the proposal will fill gaps in public transportation in the county, provide better service to those who need it most and do so for cheap.
"If you live in an opt-in community, of course, it’s actually a tax decrease for you," he said. "So if you currently have SMART services, it’s a tax decrease, but for the average homeowner in Oakland County that’s in an opt-out community, it’s about $9 a month."
Oakland County Commissioner Michael Spisz will be voting no on the measure.
"If it was really $9 I guess I could understand that argument, but it’s not really $9," he said. "I don’t believe there are many houses that in Oakland County that are valued at $100,000 because that’s where the $9 comes from. So if you want to do the true valuation, we’re talking more like $30 to $40 a month, that’ll be coming out of people’s pockets throughout the average household in Oakland County."
The proposal will force cities and communities that have opted out of public transit to buy in. Some are already paying for their own transportation service and if the transit measure is approved, they’ll be paying a lot more.
"Right now I’m running a bus system for about $100,000 a year and it gets people to their doctor appointments," said Don Green, Milford Township supervisor. "My concern is I’m getting nothing for the $1,000,063 that I’m turning over to the county."
The measure would cost Oakland County residents .95 mills or 95 cents for every thousand dollars of taxable property value.
SMART has a contract with Oakland County that expires at the end of next June. The county commission will have to vote on a new agreement if voters shoot down the transit proposal Tuesday.
