1 / 16

A Huge Win for Public Transportation… Or So We Thought

A Huge Win for Public Transportation… Or So We Thought. CARTA’s Ongoing Campaign for a ½-Cent Sales Tax Increase December 2003. Vote Yes November 5 th !. The Plan of Attack: How it Worked. VOTE YES! For a Half-Cent Tax Increase… Your Quality of Life Depends on It.

odina
Download Presentation

A Huge Win for Public Transportation… Or So We Thought

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. A Huge Win for Public Transportation…Or So We Thought CARTA’s Ongoing Campaign for a ½-Cent Sales Tax Increase December 2003

  2. Vote Yes November 5th!

  3. The Plan of Attack: How it Worked VOTE YES! For a Half-Cent Tax Increase… Your Quality of Life Depends on It.

  4. Key Issues for Greater Charleston Step 1: Package the Issues • Traffic Relief • Most congested city for its size in U.S. • Growth • 300,000-person increase predicted by 2030 • Preserving Natural Resources • Area parks, waterways, greenspaces at risk

  5. Sales Tax: The Best Option Step 2: Leverage Dislike of Property Tax • Small increase relative to other options • 6%6.5% = Approx. $30/year • Tourists will pay for 1/3 of taxes • Still would be one of the lowest in region • Louisiana: 9% • Florida: 8.25% • Tennessee: 8.25%

  6. 2000 Sales Tax Referendum Step 3: Own Up to Past Mistakes • Failed—but only by 932 votes • Why? • Questions were confusing • Lack of detail on how money would be spent • Short education time • June 14—Governor signed bill • August—Council approved referendum • November—Referendum

  7. 2002 Vote Must Pass Step 4: Tap into Community Fears • Major consequences on the horizon • Key target areas on the ballot: • Road maintenance, construction, and drainage • Mass transit • Parks & greenspaces

  8. 2002 Approved Allocations Step 5: Downplay Mass Transit! • Transportation (Traffic Relief & Growth) • 83% of funds • Includes: road construction, maintenance, drainage, and mass transit • No more than 18% for mass transit • Parks & Greenspace (Natural Resources) • 17% of funds • Includes: land preservation, parklandpurchase and development

  9. Road Projects Mass Transit Parks & Greenspace Funding Allocations 2000 2002

  10. Key Outcomes • Referendum passage is critical for: • Protecting parks and greenspace • Voters approved in 2000 referendum • Massive growth can result in over-development • Allocated funds would protect key lands in perpetuity • This includes parks of recreational, scenic,and cultural value

  11. 1 Bus = 48 Cars NOT on the road!

  12. Tactics Taken • GRASSROOTS, GRASSROOTS, GRASSROOTS (virtually no budget) • Key: keeping our story in the news through PR stunts, press conferences, etc. • Targeted, regular, inexpensive mailings • Flexibility—as we learned more, we recalibrated and refocused (I.e. African-American community)

  13. Success! • We win by less than 1% of the vote— 865 vote margin • “11th hour” count revealed win

  14. When the Unthinkable Happens • Monday, August 25—S.C. Supreme Court throws out half-cent sales tax outcome • Wording on ballot at issue • Lawsuit had been filed by handful of anti-Charleston government individuals • Less to do with sales tax, more to do with people in leadership

  15. Months in Limbo • Charleston County files suit to repeal overturn…still waiting for response • Funds running out for CARTA • Plans A, B, C, D, etc. acted upon • Now what?? • Positive Supreme Court response = Safe • Negative Supreme Court response = Shutdown? Another referendum (if funds hold out)?

More Related