Efforts to bolster support for a countywide sales tax levy in Hamilton County, Ohio, are pushing the city to fire SORTA as the manager of the troubled Cincinnati Bell Connector.
"Cincinnati City Council began to divorce the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority from oversight of the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar on Wednesday, passing an ordinance that allows the city to hire a safety officer," reports Chris Wetterich.
According to Wetterich, the Cincinnati City Council will have to take several legislative steps to complete the divorce and place control in the city's hands. The move is underway in part to better ensure the approval of a countywide SORTA sales tax levy likely to go to the ballot in 2020. Supporters of the levy believe it "will come under political attack by streetcar opponents critical of the transit agency’s management oversight role in the streetcar project," according to Wetterich.
FULL STORY: City Council begins streetcar 'divorce' process
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