Parker mayor, council oppose second FasTracks tax increase

By Kevin Flynn

The mayor of Parker said today that he and the town council oppose another sales tax increase for FasTracks, calling RTD “the AIG of Colorado, asking for a taxpayers’ bailout.”

In an email to members of the Metro Mayors Caucus, which worked with the Regional Transportation District on trying to close a growing $2.2 billion budget gap in the $6.9 billion FasTracks program, Mayor David Casiano said he can’t support a push for more taxes while his town is losing transit service.

“I will not sit silently by while this ballot issue emerges,” he said. “I will be outspoken.”

The caucus recommended RTD consider asking voters this fall for a second four-tenths percent sales tax on top of the original four-tenths percent to complete the entire program. Casiano said he and the six-member council discussed the issue earlier this week and reached consensus to oppose it.

Casiano was critical of RTD for failing to fulfill the original program, priced at $4.7 billion and covered under the original sales tax increase approved by voters in 2004.

“That’s what we campaigned on, and what we supported in 2004,” the mayor said. “If they can’t do it, tough, too bad, that’s my feeling. If you can’t keep that promise, I can’t support you.”

RTD says unprecedented spikes in construction costs since 2004 and the poor economy have thrown its original projections out the window. While construction prices have fallen somewhat, major indexes that follow those trends still are above RTD’s 2004 scales.

But Casiano said his town is getting very favorable bids on its latest road construction project and thinks RTD should look harder before asking for more tax money.

The total sales tax in Parker is 8.1 percent, with the town’s portion being 3 percent. If the new tax were approved, Parker’s total sales tax would be 8.5 percent.

Parker is being hit by cutbacks in bus service in May, when RTD institutes a heavy round of service reductions. The Route 410, initially proposed for elimination, will have fewer trips, and the on-demand call-n-Ride service in Parker, also proposed for elimination, will be kept only if the town contributes money toward it.

The cutbacks are part of a package of cuts throughout the RTD area that are meant to reduce costs by at least $4.5 million this year.

Casiano wrote that he appreciates the service of the mayors who were part of a task force trying to find solutions with RTD for the FasTracks shortfall.

He didn’t serve on the task force but is part of the 38-member Metro Mayors Caucus, which in 2004 unanimously backed the original FasTracks vote that added a four-tenths percent sales tax to help build the regional rapid transit system.

The caucus voted last week to back a second referendum this year to add another four-tenths percent to finish the program.

But Casiano made it clear that it won’t be unanimous this time.

“I understand the dilemma RTD is in, but I and the Parker Town Council cannot support a tax increase of any kind while RTD cuts back on our services,” Casiano said.

“I, as well as others on Town Council, beat the drum for FasTracks in 2004 but will not do so in 2009.

“RTD has now become the AIG of Colorado, asking for a taxpayers’ bailout. I am tired of RTD privatizing the gains and socializing the losses.”

Kevin Flynn can be reached at kevin.j.flynn@comcast.net