The St. Louis County Council passed Bill 113, the $200,103,235 million budget appropriation for transit, by a 5 to 1 vote, with one Council person absent. The bill was introduced by St. Louis County Council Chair Rita Heard Days in May. Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) urged its members and stakeholders to weigh in with the St. Louis County Council as Bill 113 moved through the process.
The $200 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 will be very problematic for transit in the future,” said Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “St. Louis County voters have demonstrated support for transit and expansion – not once, not twice, but three times. The most recent example came in 2010, when voters approved Proposition A with 63% support – despite an economic downturn. In addition, St. Louis County’s 2050 Long Range Plan has since revealed continued public interest in transit. 52% of surveyed residents ranked transit access among their top ten priorities, and local businesses are increasingly seeking locations with strong transit connections to attract and retain workers. Ensuring transit’s success is critical, and the funding splits approved this year definitely do not support the future of transit.”
Historically, the 1973 ½ cent sales tax allocation between public transit and roads maintained a 50:50 split. Over the last two years however, this split shifted to 32% for transit. While federal COVID funds mitigated impacts in 2023 and a little in 2024, continuing this reduced allocation this year undermines the long-term funding for transit operations by utilizing all Prop. A revenue for operations to backfill for the 1973 tax funding.
COVID funding is no longer available, yet the current appropriation approved keeps the 1973 ½ cent sales tax allocation at 34 percent for public transit for FY2026. The reduction in funding from the 1973 tax increases the amount taken from Prop. A funding to 100 percent for operating expenses. 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 FY2026, the policy shift will impact the future of transit in St. Louis County in a negative way.
