For More Information Contact:

Ted Burton, Public Relations Manager 389-7550

Web site: www.capmetro.org

MEDIA ADVISORY: January 22, 2001

Capital Metro Board Taking Lead in Solving Regional Transportation Problems

Resolution Speeds up Money for Travis County

Today the Capital Metro Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution establishing guidelines for spending the quarter (1/4^th) of the one-cent sales tax the agency is returning to the communities where it was collected.

In response to the voters’ defeat of light rail, the board voted last month to return the quarter cent for the current fiscal year to member cities and counties to spend on transportation and mobility projects. For the current fiscal year, the amount is approximately $33.3 million. Member communities include Austin, Leander, Manor, Lago Vista, Jonestown, Travis Co. Precinct 2, and portions of Williamson Co. Precinct 1 & 2.

Today the board passed a resolution which maps out how the money must be spent. According to the board, the money must be used on transportation; the money must be additive, i.e. the money must be used to increase funding for transportation by the amount allocated to each community from Capital Metro; and the money cannot be used to replace or transfer transportation funds to other areas in the communities’ budgets.

If Travis County Commissioners make a formal request, the board gave Capital Metro the authority to accelerate the 2002-2003 Build Greater Austin Funds for Travis County ($549,173). County commissioners are asking the agency for help to pay for part of the MoPac (Loop 1) extension project. Travis County had asked for $6.5 million. The county will also receive approximately $707,000 from Capital Metro as result of the quarter cent sales tax allocation.