TMTA Group Letter
This letter is from Mike Oxford, Executive Director of the Topeka Independent Living Resource Center. It explains the issue and thanks you for your support.
March 31, 2009
Dear ______;
Thank you for your willingness to sign on as a supporter of the Topekans in Support of Public Transportation resolution to be presented to the Topeka City Council. I also encourage you to contact the City Council, especially the Council member representing your district. Below are talking points you should consider discussing when you email or write to the City Council:
- The Transit Authority really needs a revenue increase of 3.3 million dollars. This could be 3 mills or 2 mills and a fare increase. This increase is needed to maintain current levels of service through for at least the next year.
- This one year time frame will allow all of us, as community members, to create a vision for the future of transit, to engage in long range planning, and to consider all potential sources of funding that may be available.
We believe that the millage increase may very well be temporary and that if we can get past this “crisis”, we will be able to find better, alternative, long range sources of funding and we will be able to plan for, and begin the process of, building the kind of transit services our community needs now and in the future.
The support of community members and agencies is absolutely critical to preserving existing public transportation services for our community your endorsement of this resolution is an important step in demonstrating commitment to this resource. We are also asking supporters, their staff members, constituencies, friends and family to contact City Council members to express support for short-term funding and long-term systemic change to make our city’s public transportation system responsive to community needs.
Thank you again for your support. If you have any questions, please contact Jeannine Eklund at 233.4572.
Sincerely yours,
Mike Oxford
Executive Director
