Metro Sales Tax for Transit

Besides fares and money from the state's general fund and motor vehicle sales tax, the seven county Twin Cities Metropolitan area has had the ability to create another pot of transit money  by levying a quarter-cent sales tax.

The metro area sales tax was included in the 2008 Transportation Bill which Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed, but the Legislature overrode the veto. The sales tax money, about $100 million a year, could be used to fund and operate a network of transit ways, such as bus rapid transit ways . None of that money, however, could be used to fund the operations of Metro Transit.

The law went into effect in July 2008. Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington Counties quickly voted to establish that sales tax. Carver and  Scott  Counties opted not to levy the tax at that time.