According to today's News-Gazette,
The board on Wednesday directed village attorney Paul Hendren to prepare an ordinance that would create the mass transit district and to begin a search for three to five trustees to manage the district.
Hendren told the board it has the authority to create such a district with a simple majority vote, which is scheduled for Sept. 7.
The creation of a Savoy district would prevent the Champaign-Urbana MTD board from annexing Savoy, because state law requires at least a 30-day notice and a public hearing before that board could forcibly annex territory. Hendren said municipalities don't have to meet those requirements to create their own districts.
Sounds pretty straightforward. They create a district, lock out the CU MTD and everyone's happy, right?
Well, except for the CU MTD and any CU MTD passenger who wants to get to the Savoy Wal-Mart. Or any Champaign-Urbana shopper who might want to get to any other Savoy business - to spend money. And wouldn't it be nice to ride the CU MTD out to Willard Airport and avoid those ridiculous long-term parking fees? Sorry.
Because Savoy has just said 'We don't want your steenkin' money, Champaign and Urbana folks. We'll be just fine without you.'
Will they?
There's one more little problem with this little scheme that I don't quite understand.
According to everything I've read throughout the CU MTD mess over the last few months, it would appear that a part (although it sounds like a small part) of Savoy already is a part of the CU MTD and is being served by the CU MTD.
I wonder, given the legal hammer the CU MTD wields under state law, if Savoy will be able to withdraw from a district which part of the community already belongs?
I'm not a lawyer (and I don't play one on TV), but this doesn't sound like it's gonna work. And it sounds like something that could kill the whole deal for Savoy, despite what Hendren is quoted as saying in today's N-G article:
According to Hendren, if the board votes to establish its own district, the C-U MTD board could not forcibly annex Savoy. But the northern portion of Savoy, already in the C-U MTD, would remain there, Hendren said.
Hendren said the village board, would appoint members to a Savoy mass transit district board. The county board appoints members to the C-U MTD board.
Can part of an incorporated municipality chose to opt out of a district such as this? That doesn't sound really plausible to me. Not to mention the fact that SOME of Savoy's residents will end up paying higher taxes (to the CU MTD) than others. Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
I'd have to say this ain't over yet.
And so it goes.
6 comments:
Can part of an incorporated municipality chose to opt out of a district such as this?
Yes, any part of a municipality that is not already in a MTD can be included in the municipality's new MTD.
Not to mention the fact that SOME of Savoy's residents will end up paying higher taxes (to the CU MTD) than others.
That's already the case in Savoy and many other communities, as the Savoy residents who live in CUMTD currently pay higher taxes than the Savoy residents who do not live in the district. So a new district wouldn't change anything in that regard.
OK then,. supposing it is legal, which I still question: If you were living in the annexed area and will have to continue paying the CU MTD fee regardless of what happens, would you feel happy about what your city's doing? If you owned a business in Savoy would you feel happy that for spite your city's attempting to limit your busihness' reach?
Well, the residents of Savoy who are currently in MTD are going to pay the higher taxes either way. Are you saying they would feel better about that if only their neighbors were getting screwed, too?
And how many business in Savoy (besides Wal-Mart) do you think the CUMTD would really service? I would bet that it's close to zero.
It's not like there's a downtown area that would be a busy transit hub. Do you really think CUMTD had planned on having busses makes stops at businesses all up and down US 45? Shoot, it takes 25 minutes to drive from downtown Champaign to the Savoy Wal-Mart right now. How long do you think it would take a CUMTD bus stopping at 15 or 20 stops along the way? I think it would take it long enough that it wouldn't be practical anyway.
Well, there is the Savoy 16 theatre that a number of students go to. Without public transportation to get there (namely, the 100S Yellow), we'd all be forced to take our business to the Beverly 18 out by Meijer on the North side of Champaign.
IlliniPundit: 25 minutes?! What route are you taking, and when?
Squire: Excellent point.
Matthew,
Driving down or up Neil Street during what passes for rush hour from downtown Champaign to Willard has taken me more than 20 minutes. It would help if they would synchronize all the stoplights, but that's probably way too much to ask. I can't imagine what such a drive would be like with MTD busses making the right lane essentially useless by stopping at every other intersection.
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