Category Archives: local government

5 Ways Utah Reformatted its Transportation Funding. AZ looking to Follow Suit,

Utah lawmakers reformatted transportation funding in 2 significant ways:

  • Utah raised the state gas tax to 12 percent
  • Utah also bolstered the gas tax with an inflation-tied trigger for automatic increases
  • The revised gas tax has  a floor of 29.4 cents per gallon
  • It has a ceiling of 40 cents per gallon.
  • Local voters are limited to adding a 0.25 cent sales tax split between city and county transportation and transit needs.

An Arizona Senator said of Utah,

“In 22 states, and mostly red…

Legal Trend: State Supreme Court Strikes Down Red Light Cameras

Missouri Supreme Court struck down red light cameras this week. The rational:

  • One of the city ordinances stated no points would be applied against the person fora  red light camera violation, but that conflicts with state law requiring points for moving violations.
  • Another city ordinance unbconstitutionally shifted the burden of proof of that the moving vioaltion occurred onto the defendant.

Courts have also halted red light camera use in Florida. Illinois & California have upheld the use…

4 Reasons Texas Concerned Citizens are Targeting High Speed Rail

A group of former CEOs and executives formed a group that thought it would support high speed rail for the economic devleopment opportunities for Ellis County.

Once it was determined that Ellis County wouldn’t see economic development as the train speeds through, the group shifted course to killing high speed rail.

The group wants to keep high speed rail out of Ellis County because:

  • agriculture contributes $160 million to the Ellis County economy
  • land will have to be aquired in Ellis…

Lege Trend: Peachy Transportation Laws Impact Local Governments in 2 Ways. Ends Aviation Exemptions.

Georgia this year overhauled transportation funding by passing HB 107, that will:

  • phase out the State’s 4% sales and use tax on motor fuel
  • raises the excise tax to $0.26 cents per gallon on gasoline and $0.29 per gallon on diesel, dedicated to transportation funding
  • creates an up to $100 fee on heavy trucks
  • eliminates the $5,000 state income tax credit for buying an electric vehicle
  • total-electric car owners will now pay a $200 annual fee ($300 for commercial vehicles)
  • adds an…

Local Gov Trend: Businesses Support Sales Tax. More Transportation Funding. Improves Economic Development.

In Hillsborough, Florida business organizations are “gearing up to lead the campaign to pass a half-cent sales tax for transportation projects if county commissioners agree to put the tax on the November 2016 ballot.”

Business says lack of adequate roads and transportaiton funding is harming economic development. 

Tampa Tribune

One City. One Transportation Trust Fund. Pay as You Go with Sunsets.

Cape Girardeau, Missouri has a pay as you go transportaiton fund that works like this:

  • Funds are held in a restricted account to fund a group of pre-established projects that are completed over a 5 year period.
  • Projects are scheduled as the sales taxes were collected
  • Always will be on a “pay-as-you-go” system.
  • No bonds would be issued;  thus no  interest paid.
  • Creates a user’s tax funded by citizens and visitors who use our streets.
  • Sunsets every 5 years and requires citizen…

UPDATE: High Speed Rail: Magnolia & Montgomery County are Watching You.

Houston Press  & Houston Chronicle finally caught up with loyal Information Intelligence subscribers to tell us how local governments are forming commissions specifically designed to block high speed rail. 

 

Information Intelligence on July 22, 2015:

Montgomery County and the city of Magnolia formed a regional planning commission to monitor the proposed high speed rail project.The current path of the high speed rail proposal does not cross Magnolia or Montgomery County.

Both local…

UPDATE Local Government Trend: Cap on Ride Share. 3 Ways Ride Share Won.

This week ride share company Uber and the CIty of New York reached a deal prior to the mayor pushing a vote on capping ride share. How did it work?

  • Economic Message: Uber argued that a cap would mortally wounded it in its most important market, doubling and tripling wait times, degrading service, and driving away consumers.
  • PR Push: “airwaves with ads saying Mayor Bill de Blasio wanted to destroy thousands of potential jobs.”
  • Out of touch with tech & out of touch with minorities…

New Ferris TX City Manager Challenged on Stance on High Speed Rail

Ferris City Council named Carl Sherman the city’s new City Manager. He is also mayor of DeSoto, an uncompensated position.

During the vetting process, Sherman was asked about his stance on high speed rail, something Ellis County Commissioners Court opposes. Sherman said he will be too busy running the city to get into politics like high speed rail.

Waxahachie Daily Light

High Speed Rail: Magnolia & Montgomery County are Watching You.

Montgomery County and the city of Magnolia formed a regional planning commission to monitor the proposed high speed rail project.The current path of the high speed rail proposal does not cross Magnolia or Montgomery County.

Both local governments appear to be opposed to the high speed rail and its taking of private land. As such, the city and county are being vigilent just in case. 

Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal: ” We are committed to opposing any routing of high speed rail…