2018.01.29 CC Packet - Goal Setting

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EXPANDING THE REGIONAL TRANSIT CAPITAL AREA IN THE TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA Position: Washington County supports expansion of the Regional Transit Capital Area to include the entire seven - county metropolitan area to provide the Metropolitan Council with funding for transit capital improvement. Issue: The Metropolitan Council is the planning agency for the seven -county metropolitan area and as a result, is responsible for developing the regional vision for transit. The Regional Transit Capital (RTC) area, formerly the Transit Taxing District, was established in the 1970's to provide the Metropolitan Council with property tax funding for transit capital improvements. Communities placed into the RTC were chosen based on the original Metropolitan Urban Service Area boundary. Since the 1970's the Twin Cities has added nearly 975,000 people with little change to the RTC boundary. Expansion of the RTC area will more accurately reflect the current urbanized area and the area benefiting from transit and will coincide with the boundaries of the Metropolitan Council. The current taxing district boundaries do not equitably share the cost of providing transit services in the metropolitan region. Support and Opposition: The county would need to work with the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) and the Minnesota Inter -county Association (MICA) to develop strong regional support for this proposal. Previous Consideration: County Board Position for several years. No Action: If the proposal is not enacted, the metropolitan area will not have sufficient funding to implement the transit vision and the current inequities will continue. Financial Implications: Sustainable revenue sources need to be identified. The financial implications depend on the source of funding. Contact Person: Jan Lucke, Planning Division Director Washington County Public Works 651-430-4316 Jan.Lucke@co.washington.mn.us 15