RCLC News:

The Regional Coalition of LANL Communities (RCLC) voted last Friday, during its monthly board meeting, to formally acknowledge how important it is to continue funding for the North Central Region Transit District (NCRTD), and passed a resolution expressing its support for the reauthorization of the 1/8 of 1 percent increment in local gross receipts taxes in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba and Taos counties.

The measure is on this year’s ballot in all four counties. The GRT increment provides 68 percent of the NCRTD funding and a vote to reauthorize would continue that funding without raising any taxes.

Full text of the resolution:

REGIONAL COALITION OF LANL COMMUNITIES RESOLUTION NO. 2018-01 A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF RENEWAL OF THE COUNTY REGIONAL TRANSIT GROSS RECEIPTS TAX:
WHEREAS, NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT (“NCRTD”) provides regional transit across Northern New Mexico; and  WHEREAS, NCRTD is currently funded through a 1/8 of one percent increment of County Regional Transit Gross Receipts Tax (RTGRT) which is collected in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba and Taos counties and provides 68% of the District’s revenues; and
 
WHEREAS, the RTGRT is a primary source of matching funds that are leveraged to by NCRTD to obtain additional federal funding which constitutes approximately 26% of the District’s revenue;

WHEREAS, the current tax is set to expire in 2024 if it is not reauthorized; and

WHEREAS, the reauthorization of the tax is a ballot issue on November 6th for the voters in the District’s four-county area; and

WHEREAS, the existing tax was collectively approved by the voters in the NCRTD in November 2008; and

WHEREAS, the current tax is 2.5 cents on each $20 spent; and WHEREAS, a portion of the approximately $7.9 million in CRTGRT collected annually goes directly into transit services of the counties and cities served by NCRTD.

WHEREAS, commuters, students, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, people without cars, visitors, tourists, and ecologically conscious persons wanting to reduce pollution and preserve the environment all benefit from the fare free transit services funded by the CRTGRT; and

WHEREAS, the use of public transit reduces carbon emissions in the region consistent with the stated plans and goals for sustainability in place in the region served by NCRTD; and

WHEREAS, public transit reduces traffic and wear on public infrastructure including city, county and State roads; and

WHEREAS, the RTGRT was the primary funding for more than 784,946 passenger trips in FY2018; and WHEREAS, the RCLC supports regional transit that provides transportation to Northern New Mexicans who do not have alternatives and require public transit for access to jobs and essential services; and

WHEREAS, the continuation of the existing funding will not increase taxes.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE RCLC that the RCLC acknowledges the importance of the continuation of funding for regional transit and the funding it would receive through reauthorization of the RTGRT and encourages its citizens to support reauthorization in November.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be transmitted to members of the media in the RCLC communities, and to the NCRTD. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 19th day of October, 2018.