CC PACKET 03262013 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Regional Council of Mayors Majority Leader Thomas Bakk 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Capitol, Room 226 St. Paul, MN 55155-1606 Speaker Paul Thissen 463 State Office Building 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155 RE: Proposed regional sales tax for transit Dear Majority Leader Bakk and Speaker'fhissen: Please see the attached list of members of the Regional Council of Mayors who are in support of a sales tax increase to support sustained investment to build out and operate the metropolitan region's transit system as defined by the Governor's Transportation Finance Advisory Committee. The Regional Council of Mayors was formed in 2005 and provides a non-partisan platform focused on building action strategies to raise the region's overall economic competitiveness and quality of life. The Regional Council of Mayors believes that the development of a competitive regional transit system is key to our region's long-term economic competitiveness and vitality. The development of a complete and multi -modal transit system is necessary for all of our communities to provide essential mobility, relieve congestion, attract new investment, and create jobs for all Minnesotans. We represent a diverse set of municipalities from across the region, each with its own character and needs. Across that diversity, we understand that the health and prosperity of our communities is linked to that of the region. By investing in our regional transit infrastructure, the Governor's plan will help maintain our region's economic competitiveness and allow our towns and cities to thrive. Indeed, a recent study by the Itasca Project, an organization led by some of the region's leading CEOs, confirms the importance of investing in transit to the region's economy. It found that building out the region's transit network would create a return on investment of between $6.5 and $13.9 billion, or between 7.8% and 20.9%. We believe the Governor's proposal represents an opportunity that our region cannot afford to pass up. We urge you to join us in supporting that proposal to help fund the investments that our region needs to thrive. Cc: Representative Hornstein, Representative Erhardt, Senator Dibble