Proponents and opponents of a one-eighth of a cent sales tax to pay for a BART Santa Clara County extension line the wall of the Santa Clara County Supervisors' Chambers during the VTA meeting Thursday night.
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority approved Thursday evening a one-eighth-cent sales tax measure on the November ballot to bring BART to the South Bay.
The authority's Board of Directors voted 9-3 to ask voters whether they can muster the sales tax increase, expected to be in place for three decades and would bring in $42 million a year to pay for the train line to extend from Freemont to San Jose.
South County representatives Morgan Hill City Councilman Greg Sellers and former Gilroy mayor and current Santa Clara County Supervisor Don Gage voted in favor and against the tax measure, respectively.
The tax would only be collected if the authority could come up with matching funds from the Federal Transit Administration and it could only go into effect if two thirds of voters approve it in the fall.
The one-eighth-cent sales tax increase translates to about $37.50 tax on a $30,000 car. The county's current sales tax is 8.25 percent. Several county residents spoke during the two-hour meeting about the pros and cons of bringing the rapid rail line to San Jose.
Carl Guardino, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, who's been lobbying in favor of bringing BART to San Jose for several years, said in an e-mail: "South County residents benefit greatly from the BART initiative, as it ties in with the Caltrain Commuter Rail Line - which runs from Gilroy to San Francisco - at the Santa Clara Station.
"Caltrain and BART riders will benefit from a regional rail system with a seamless platform-to-platform transfer, and the future People Mover linking Caltrain and BART to all three terminals at San Jose International Airport."
He added: "At a time when we are fighting $4-per-gallon gasoline and are concerned about our nation's overdependence on foreign oil, expanding BART and linking with Caltrain are part of a comprehensive, regional solution."
The leadership group claims results from survey it conducted about BART are positive, but Guardino has refused to release the data to the media and other transportation watchdog groups.
In addition to the sales tax increase measure to pay for BART, Gilroy residents are looking at a $150 million school bond and a $37 million library bond.
Morgan Hill voters will choose whether or not to approve a 2 percent utility users' tax to pay for more police officers.
Regionally, voters will consider a $9.9 billion bond measure to fund a California High Speed Rail Authority project that would link the state's major cities and regions, providing travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles in two and a half hours on the so-called "bullet train."
Natalie Everett Natalie Everett covers education and city issues for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106, ext. 201, or neverett@morganhilltimes.com.
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