Create a "Self-Help Congestion Fund" made up of money raised locally, used locally.
- To fund widenings on Road Commission (county) roads and city/village streets
- Money to be distributed via the objective Oakland County Federal Aid Task Force
The task force includes representatives of the cities, villages and townships in the county as well as the Road Commission, SMART and state Department of Transportation. It grants funding for projects based on objective review of their potential to improve safety and reduce congestion.
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The BBR Proposal:
When it became clear that no single funding source would generate enough money to solve Oakland's congestion problem, the committee studied a variety of options. After more than a year of studying, the committee came up with a five-pronged approach that it believes will generate enough money to cause a significant change. Here are the elements of the BBR proposal:
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Action |
$ Generated Annually |
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4-cent local gas & diesel tax increase |
$ 28 million |
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1/2 mill countywide property tax |
$ 23 million |
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1/2% local sales tax |
$ 80 million |
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20% vehicle registration fee increase |
$ 9.6 million |
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$25 flat rate driver's license fee |
$ 14 million |
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Annual Total |
$ 154.6 million |
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What Will it Cost Me?
BBR Estimates that if all five proposals were enacted, the average Oakland resident would pay approximately $13.21 per month.
How Was the Per Person Cost Calculated?
- Gas Tax cost based on driving 15,000 miles/year and averaging 20 miles per gallon. Four cent increase would cost $30.00/year, $2.50/month.
- Property tax cost is based on a house valued at $150,000. A half-mill would cost $37.50/year, $3.125/month.
- Sales tax cost is based on the assumption that a 1/2% sales tax would generate $80 million annually in the county and estimation that 80 percent would be paid by Oakland residents. Residents would pay $58.18/year or $4.58/month on average.
- Vehicle Registration cost is based on an average fee of $55.00. A 20% increase would cost $11/year or 92 cents/month.
- The $25.00 flat-rate driver's license fee comes to $2.08 per month.
What's Next?
Implementing any of these proposed solutions will require a significant, sustained effort over several years. All but the property tax will require enabling legislation. Most will require local voter approval. The local sales tax would require statewide voter approval. The BBR is creating an action plan to implement all or some of these proposals.
What Have Other's Done?
Congestion is not unique to Oakland County. In fact, California's Silicon Valley has experienced the same problem. There, a group of businesses formed The Manufacturing Group, which led the charge to raise the sales tax to address congestion. This effort has generated billions of dollars for road improvements.
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