Topeka Transit: What is the long term solution?

As I am sure many of you have seen in the news recently, Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority Board is both asking the city for a mill levy increase, as well as cutting Sunday & evening service (http://cjonline.com/news/local/2009-06-16/cuts_in_transit_service_nearing).  I am happy to see the City Council limited the mill levy increase to only one year, but I do not see the TMTA board coming up with long term solutions, so they are not back next year looking for more money again.  A city the size of Topeka should have a public transportation system, but it should also not cosume huge amounts of tax dollars.  At this point to come to a long term solution, it seems the entire operations of the TMTA need to be reviewed.  Read the rest of this entry »

Topeka Transit: To raise the mill levy?

Tomorrow night, May 12, 2009, our City Council along with our Mayor will have a very tough decision to make.  They have to decide whether or not to vote to add a charter ordinance which will increase the mill levy cap for Topeka Transit.  It essentially is a two-mill increase which would raise the property tax on a $100,000 house by $23 a year (CJOnline: Council to vote on TMTA Proposal).  There is no denying that Transit is essential to the economic development of our city.  There needs to be easy access to public transportation for its residents to get to and from their jobs and for tourists who want to easily navigate the cities attractions.

TransformTopeka has in the past asked guest bloggers to post an argument for each side of these type of important issues, but due to the time constraints (the charter ordinance will be voted on tomorrow night), we felt it best to just present as much information about the issue and allow for comments to argue both sides.  I have a very strong opinion on this issue, but will try and keep my opinion to myself as I share the information about the issue. Read the rest of this entry »

Guest Blogger::The choice is yours, Topeka. Let’s Vote Yes to fix our streets!

The proposed sales tax increase in Topeka of one half of a percent that will be on the April 7th ballot has raised many concerns from hard-working Topekans who don’t feel that this is a good time to ask them to spend more money than they are already spending (as if a good time to ask for more money existed.)

We are living in a recession.  Every penny counts.  Even every half penny counts.  If this sales tax increase was not designed to increase outside business interest in the Topeka area, to create new jobs, a new quality of life and an overall upgrade to our fair city’s image, then I’d be arguing against it myself.  But the simple fact remains that there are many arguments for and against, but at the end of that difficult road remains a choice. Read the rest of this entry »

Guest Blogger::Higher Sales Taxes are the Wrong Road for Topeka

The issue on the ballot next month isn’t a question of whether we should have better streets — who doesn’t want better streets? Certainly the business community would be among the first to say that properly maintained
streets are essential to their businesses and to attracting new ones.

The issue is whether or not a special sales tax should be levied on everyone to pay for a basic and essential service of city government.

The members of the Topeka Independent Business Association (TIBA), mostly small business owners from every kind of industry imaginable, were surveyed and overwhelming said NO to a sales tax. Are they saying they don’t want
better roads? No. Are they saying they don’t support Heartland Visioning? No. They’re just saying that a sales tax is the Wrong Road to fixing our streets. Read the rest of this entry »