LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
MESSERLI & KRAMER
April 15, 2015 Board Meeting
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Senate Transportation Bill
• SF 87 – Article 4 – Sales Tax Article
– ¾ cent increase, 5 counties
– Protects CTIB’s first ¼ %
– 1/8 to counties for roads/transit, w/ nexus
• Hennepin County limited to transit projects only
– Provides 8.5% of net proceeds to CTIB
• Transitway Improvements
• State’s 10%
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Senate Transportation Bill
• GEARS Board Eliminated
• Met Council gets rest of money for projects
consistent with the Council’s long-range
transportation policy plan
• Sets out priority use of funds
• Repeals statute requiring state to pay 50% of
operating costs of light rail transit that are not
paid by the federal government
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House Transportation Bill
• HF 4 – Article 3 – Sales Tax Article
– No new resources for Transit
– Modifies priority of uses for CTIB funds
• Must fully fund operations/maintenance on existing
transitways the board has previously funded
• Cannot award grants to continue work on new
transitways unless all debt service and operating
costs met
• Repeals supplement but not supplant requirement
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House Transportation Bill
• Expands use of CTIB funds to include
capital/operating assistance for bus operations and
ABRT
• Redefines transitway to guideway to include
passenger rail, commuter rail, LRT, streetcars,
highway BRT, express bus in a dedicated ROW
and multi-modal stations serving two or more lines,
does not include ABRT, limited stop bus service
and express bus on roads (excludes pass rail)
• Clarifies political subd can plan,conduct feasibility
analyses, commence project development but may
not complete until legislature acts
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House Transportation Bill
• Prohibits Council from issuing bonds backed by
pledge of the MVST revenues
• Provides for 100% of operating costs for LRT must
be paid from non-state sources. Council may not
use GF approps or MVST fund for LRT
• All tax provisions sent to House Tax Cmte (48
shifts)
• Increase in bus shelters by 50% paid by CTIB (not
offered)
• Honor system for fare collection (withdrawn)
• CTIB/Met Council funds reinstated (defeated)
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Other Bills of Interest
• HF 1478 Garofalo/SF 1979 Thompson
– Current .25 sales tax would not apply to
sale/purchase of electricity/natural gas
($6.1m in 2013 dollars)
• HF1411 Hornstein/SF 1560 Dibble
– Task Force on Metropolitan Governance
• Bonding Update
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