The St. Louis County Council approved Bill 174, the $197.1 million budget appropriation for transit, introduced by St. Louis County Council Chair Shalonda Webb at the September 3 Council Meeting by a vote of 6 to 1. Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) urged its members and stakeholders to weigh in with the St. Louis County Council as Bill 174 moved through the process.
The $197.1 million budget appropriation comes from three sales tax initiatives in St. Louis County, including the 1973 ½ cent sales tax, Prop M ¼ cent sales tax and the Prop A ½ cent sales tax.
“We are happy to see the St. Louis County Council approve the transit funding appropriation for Bi-State Development. However, as the transit advocacy organization representing more than 22,000 constituents in the area, we are concerned about this year’s funding splits which could be very problematic for transit in the future,” said Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit.
Historically, the percentage allocation of the 1973 1/2 cent sales tax for public transit vs. roads is close to a 50:50 split. This is with the exception of last year when only 32 percent of this sales tax was allocated for transit because there was unprecedented federal COVID funding available to cover the difference.
COVID funding is no longer available, yet the current appropriation approved keeps the 1973 ½ cent sales tax allocation at 32 percent for public transit for FY2025. The reduction in funding from the 1973 tax increases the amount from Prop. A funding to 100 percent for operating expenses, which historically the remainder of Prop. A funding not used for operating has been set aside in a capital account for future transit expansion. With 100 percent of the Prop. A funding going to operations this year, there will be zero set aside for future transit expansion. While this does not negatively impact transit in FY2025, the policy shift will definitely impact the future of transit in St. Louis County in a negative way.