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Committee moves transit proposal to full council for final vote

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The City-County Council Rules and Public Policy committee voted 5-2 Tuesday night to move Proposal No. 3, 2017 to a final vote before the full council; which would enact a local income tax rate increase of 0.25% to fund the Marion County Transit Plan.

Citizens supported the Marion County Transit Plan with nearly 60 percent of the vote in November. But that was an advisory vote. The City-County Council has the final say on the Marion County Transit Plan.

Transit Drives Indy was pleased with the results of Tuesday nights meeting.

“On behalf of the Transit Drives Indy Coalition, we applaud the councilors that voted to move the transit proposal forward for a final vote,” said Kelli Mirgeaux, Grassroots Coordinator for Transit Drives Indy.

24-Hour News 8 spoke to Mirgeaux before the meeting.

“This plan didn’t happen overnight, we’ve been planning this for decades,” she said.

Mirgeaux noted the plan would call for a 70 percent increase in bus services.

“We’re talking about an increase in frequency, we’re talking about every route running every day,” Mirgeaux said.

Critics of the plan oppose the subsequent tax increase of 0.25 percent. That amounts to about $125 for an individual making $50,000 a year.

The final meeting and corresponding vote for the transit plan will be at 7:00 p.m. February 27 in the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building at 200 E. Washington St.

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