Joey Garrison

USA Today Network - Tennessee

Two-thirds of Nashvillians say they would be willing to pay more in sales tax to support improving public transit if given a vote in a public referendum, a new poll shows.

Those numbers, outlined in a new Vanderbilt University poll released Sunday, could help boost the cause of Middle Tennessee transit advocates — including Mayor Megan Barry — who are seeking action from the state legislature to allow local governments to hold referendums on funding transit projects.

The poll found that 63 percent of Nashvillians would be willing to pay 25 cents more on sales tax for every $100 if the extra money went toward improving public transportation. Thirty-five percent said they would not be willing, while 3 percent said they either didn’t know or refused to answer.

An even higher percentage of respondents, 68 percent, said they would be willing to pay 50 cents in additional sales tax for every $100 they spent, compared with 30 percent who said they would not be willing.

Eighty-six percent of the poll’s respondents said they would support holding a citywide referendum that allows voters to decide whether Nashville should make more funding available for improving public transportation. Just 11 percent said they oppose a referendum.

John Geer, a political science professor at Vanderbilt who co-directed the poll, said the results indicate that dedicated funding for transit has momentum in Nashville.

But with details still lacking, it’s too early to say a proposal would be a slam dunk with voters.

“I think it could pass,” Geer said. “It would obviously depend on how much, Mayor Barry’s support and other things like that. But you’re not starting from a hole. You’re starting from a position of strength.

“She’s got to manage that message,” he said. “She’s got to manage all the other things because it can turn on you. But I would think she’s in pretty strong position.”

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In an indication that Nashville residents might have an appetite for other big projects, 58 percent of the poll's participants said they would support construction of a new Major League Soccer stadium at the city's fairgrounds through a public-private partnership — a proposal Barry is pushing. Thirty-six percent said they would oppose the project. The poll did not ask about public financing.

Barry has said she wants to bring a referendum on securing dedicated tax revenue for transit projects to the ballot in 2018, but she would first need state action this spring.

She wants to begin securing funding for pieces of a $6 billion regional transit plan called nMotion, adopted by Middle Tennessee leaders last year, which includes light rail, commuter rail, bus rapid transit, bus-on-shoulder concepts and a range of other options.

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A local option on transit funding is a component of Gov. Bill Haslam’s transportation bill, which includes a gas tax increase to secure more funding for roadway and bridge projects. His bill cleared committees in the Senate and House last week.

Geer noted that a Vanderbilt poll from January found a majority of all Tennesseans — not just Nashvillians — back a gas tax increase to support roadway infrastructure.

The referendum piece of Haslam’s bill was tweaked last week to apply only to 12 counties, as well as the state’s four largest cities, Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga.

Although Vanderbilt’s poll asked only about support of sales tax for transit, Haslam’s legislation would allow for local governments to add a surcharge on several taxes, including businesses, motor vehicles, rental cars, tourist accommodation and residential development, in addition to sales tax.

The money raised through the surcharge could be used only for local transportation projects and would be capped.

Tennessee has a 7 percent sales tax, with counties having the option to levy up to an additional 2.75 percent. Davidson County, home of Nashville, has room to increase its local sales tax option by only 0.5 percent. Half of any county local option sales tax must be dedicated to public education, which would limit the amount that could go to transit.

A half-cent increase on sales tax would have generated $143 million across the Middle Tennessee region in 2015, with $67.7 million coming from Davidson County.

Numbers are according to a report called Moving Forward issued last year by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, which has been pushing a regional transit system in Nashville.

Historically, public referendums on transit have a mixed track record elsewhere in the U.S., but transit projects found widespread support during the November election. Voters in Atlanta; Indianapolis; San Jose, Calif.; Raleigh, N.C.; Portland, Ore.; Charleston, S.C.; and others passed referendums focused on transit funding.

Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236 and on Twitter @joeygarrison.