MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Residents will soon be heading to the polls and one proposal they will find is the Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) millage renewal.

CATA is now requesting to renew its current 3.007 mills for 5 years. The current millage does not expire until 2016, but CATA board members are taking the opportunity to be proactive and adding it to this years ballot.

"We are asking for the same amount that people have been paying," said Sandy Draggoo, CEO and Executive Director of CATA. "We just could not exist as we do now if we did not have our local millage."

Without the local millage, CATA will be without 38.08% of their operating budget. And without these funds CATA will not be able to provide its services, depriving an estimated 50% of the Meridian Township from transportation.

Just last year, CATA recorded giving 11.86 million rides and 360,000 Spec-Tran rides for persons with disabilities.

Some residents say they are opposed because they do no ride the bus and don't believe they should have to pay for a service they don't use.

"I don't think citizens as a whole should support a system used by so few," said Leonard Provencher.

While other residents methods of travel could be drastically effected without the millage.

"I usually go from the south side over here then out to Okemos to where I work," said Nicole Peters, who uses the CATA four to five times weekly. "Without it I couldn't work where I work."

"The person who is paying with their property tax is our customer too," said Draggoo. "That customer that is paying with their taxes is also looking out for that neighbor or paying for the mother or the father or the son that may have a disability to get them on a Spec-Tran bus to get them to dialysis or to get them to work."

According to Township Treasurer and CATA board member Julie Brixie, the average Meridian Township homeowner with a home market-valued at $200,000 will be taxed approximately $300 annually.
Contrary to belief, the bus fare that riders are charged does not cover all of the operating costs. According to CATA it only covers about 18.4% of the operating costs.

"The fare box is a portion of what money we get," said Draggoo. "There isn't a public transportation system in the country that gets full funding from the fare boxes."

If residents do not approve the current 3.007 mills for the years 2016-2020, the CATA board plans to try again for the following election year.