Roswell postpones vote on transit tax
The Roswell City Council decided Monday night to wait a day before they discuss a penny sales tax to pay for regional transportation improvements.
The council was expected to vote on a resolution supporting such a tax, but only if other counties join Fulton and DeKalb in forming a regional mass transit system. When some council members said they wanted more time to study the issue, the council decided to wait until 5 p.m. Tuesday committee meetings.
The 10 metro Atlanta counties can vote in 2010 to impose a 1-cent sales tax on themselves to pay for transportation projects. Fulton and DeKalb have been paying a penny sales tax to support MARTA for three decades.
Roswell Mayor Jere Wood said he doesn’t want Fulton and DeKalb paying 2 cents in sales taxes for regional transportation while the other counties end up paying only 1 cent. Other Fulton County mayors support the resolution, but only the city council in Mountain Park has approved it.
David Davidson, the Roswell city attorney, said the council cannot pass a resolution that attempts to influence how people vote, though individual council members can express their opinion. Upon hearing that, Wood withdrew the resolution from consideration.
