PART, which stands for “Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation,” is hoping Guilford County voters – as well as voters in the other central North Carolina counties served by the Authority – will at some point vote to approve a sales tax increase to improve regional transportation.
However, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners shot down the idea of having that local sales tax option placed on this year’s ballot when they discussed the matter at a Thursday, April 18 Board of Commissioners work session.
The PART board hasn’t voted to request that the tax increase be placed on the ballot this year or any other year yet, however, some Guilford County commissioners, who had heard the request may be coming, brought the matter up at the April 18 work session and wanted to nip it in the bud, at least for now.
An appeal might go better in another PART county, but it will be a no-go this year in Guilford County.
If the PART sales tax hike increase went on the November ballot, then there would be two sales tax hikes on the ballot this year – one meant to enhance public transportation in the region, and one, which will in fact be on the ballot, requesting a quarter-cent sales tax increase to help support Guilford County Schools.
Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said on Monday, April 22, that he can’t speak for other counties in the PART service area, but he can speak for Guilford County – and, he said, voters will not see both a school tax hike referendum and a transportation tax hike referendum on the 2024 ballot.
“The people voted down the previous sales tax increase to help pay for new schools,” Alston said. “So, we can’t come back and put two sales tax increases on the next ballot and say, ‘OK, now approve both of these.’”
He said that would be a death blow to the chances of both.
Alston serves as the Guilford County Board of Commissioners’ representative to the PART board, and he said he’d had a conversation with other PART board members. He told them that this year was not the right time for a sales tax increase supporting regional transportation to be on the ballot.
Several other county commissioners who spoke on the matter at the April 18 work session also expressed the view that it would be premature to put two sales tax hike options on the November ballot.
If the measure does show up on the ballot in a future year, and gain approval by voters, the proceeds would be used to strengthen public transportation choices in the region.
PART? Ha that is funny. They should save money by ditching all those gas and diesel empty buses and mini buses and just circle around empty in a Prius. Maybe some Ride Share areas work but I don’t see them.
And I thought our government was trying to save the planet.
No more tax increases. People are taxed enough. Raise your price and stop depending on the taxpayers to bail you out. We are sick of being taxed constantly.
Hey Skip…. will be voting no on any requested taxes. Increase your fees if you ride PART. My car taxes are high enough and I subsidize enough freebies in Guilford County and Greensboro.
When will it end. I remember very well when Governor Terry Sanford got a temporary sales tax of about 2¢ as a temporary measure to obtain funding for schools. Like any Democrat tax, it’s never temporary and only expands.
—-
Not only that Dave, but in 1961 “Food Tax Terry” Sanford (D) imposed Sales Tax on groceries “as a temporary measure”. Very few states tax food because it is such a reprehensible and regressive tax, but we’re one of them – thanks to the Democrats, who pretend to stand for the poor and disadvantaged.
Sixty-three years later we are still being taxed on our groceries.
Government greed is unlimited (even at the expense of young low income families).
—–
What jaw dropping greed.
These people are incapable of even breaking even, and rather than streamlining their expenses they just want to get into your pocket and mine, using the coercion of taxation.
—–
Here’s a dirty little secret PART doesn’t want you to know. Their black buses drive around empty – zero passengers – most of the time. Every time I drive by one I look to see if there’s anyone on board. It’s rare I see even a single seat occupied. That’s why they tint the windows black.
——
It’s time to kill this white elephant.
It typifies the self-indulgence of the Parasitic Sector, which exists to provide itself overpaid easy jobs, subsidized Cadillac healthcare, and Easy Street retirements.
The alleged purpose of all public sector entities is only the pretext they sell us so as to create and enrich their empires – at our expense.
Let’um have it. Not that it will help, they will do as they please. Only the ballot box works.
Inflation and our Spendthrift Council have taken their toll on Guilford County taxpayers. No way either tax increase will fly among the fiscal conservatives . But then again, a group of voters okayed almost $2,000,000,000,000 in bonds with no provision to pay for them, so, who knows what will fly this election year?
The PART Board of Trustees has not discussed asking the Guilford County Commissioners for a sales tax increase nor have they voted on making a request to the Guilford County Commissioners.
Not having “discussed it” with GC Commish doesn’t mean they don’t know about it, nor does that mean you want request it.
Nor should they make such a request.
Good!
And if they ask for a tax hike, I expect you to deny it.
Okay?
This is one of those agencies that needs to some tough and deep study to figure out where to cut expenses and become more efficient. I fully understand there are folks who need this service but buses less than half full don’t make sense.
No, it needs to be abolished and dissolved.
And their buses never even get close to 50%. They generally drive around completely empty.