Voters asked to renew BATA millage
Oct. 7—TRAVERSE CITY — Registered voters are being asked to check the "yes" box on Nov. 8 to renew an operational millage for the Bay Area Transportation Authority.
The 0.4788-mill property tax proposal will bring in $4,783,786 in its first year, providing 34 percent of BATA's annual funding.
Voters approved a 0.5-mill tax in 2017, but that amount has rolled back slightly because of the Headlee Amendment, a state law that says property taxes cannot increase more than the rate of inflation.
BATA bus routes cover 900 square miles of Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties and provide about 1,000 rides per day, said Eric Lingaur, BATA's director of communications and development.
More than half of those who use bus service are senior citizens or are disabled, said Lingaur, who with Executive Director Kelly Dunham gave a presentation to the Grand Traverse Board of Commissioners on Wednesday.
Mandy Joppich of Interlochen said she relies on the transit system.
"Without BATA I would not be working or doing anything," Joppich said during the meeting's public comment. "So I hope this millage gets passed."
When contacted, Traverse City resident Gary Howe said he supports the renewal just like he supports a road millage.
"It's just part of basic public transportation for the community," Howe said. "It's a no-brainer, probably the easiest thing on the ballot."
BATA's budget for the coming year is $11.7 million and is based on full service levels. The authority is currently running at about 75-percent capacity with surplus funds placed in reserve.
In all, 43 percent of funding comes from local sources, including the millage, bus fares and advertising income. The state provides another 38 percent and 19 percent comes from federal sources.
"BATA has every intention of restoring 100 percent of our service levels," Dunham said in response to questions from Commissioner Ron Clous, who wanted to know why BATA wasn't asking for a smaller amount.
"The local millage amount is really the basis of our budget," Dunham said.
Since the last millage request, about half of BATA's buses have gone green and are using domestic propane, which is cleaner, Lingaur said. Wi-Fi was added to all buses and 15 bus shelters have been added since 2016, for a total of 54, he said.
BATA also launched the Link On-Demand service that lets riders request a bus to pick them up at their residence. The service increased by 124 percent over the last year, Lingaur said.
But some regular routes have been discontinued or their frequency reduced because of staffing levels, though riders can use the Link service. BATA has 112 employees and openings for 12 bus drivers.
Commissioner Darryl V. Nelson said a recent survey indicated that the most frequent complaint about Cherry Capital Airport was the lack of app-based ride services in the area.
Lingaur said Link app lets people request bus service from the airport. Last summer and into fall, when the rental car crisis reached its peak, Lingaur met with airport officials to talk about ways to fill the gap. Now a large banner near the luggage rack lets visitors know the service is available.
"Our Link On-Demand service is app-based," Lingaur said. "You can request a bus in real time, similar to Uber and Lyft, from the airport immediately. We've seen a large uptick from airport usage."
Commissioner Brad Jewett asked why the millage was for five years rather than four, which would put it on the same schedule as other county elections, which take place in even years. The 2017 millage request was a special election that cost the county about $200,000.
Dunham said the decision was made by the BATA Board of Trustees with the idea to secure the funding for as long a duration as would be allowed by state law.
