St. Louis leaders say tax is vital to public transit

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- St. Louis city and county leaders say passage of a half-cent sales tax in the county this fall is vital to the future of public transit in the region.

At a forum Thursday to mark the 15th anniversary of Metrolink, the region's light rail system, Metro officials said service cuts or fare hikes will be likely next year if more funding isn't found.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said the extra $80 million a year the proposed tax is estimated to raise is money that would come back to taxpayers.

If county voters approve the sales tax proposal likely to be on the ballot in November, a quarter cent sales tax will automatically go into effect in the city. Voters there approved the transit tax a decade ago.

At 8.2 percent, the city's sales tax is already the highest in the region, but Slay does not expect another tax to harm city businesses.

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Information from: KWMU-FM, http://www.kwmu.org