This election, voters will help decide the future of Orange County public transit.
A proposed half-cent sales tax increase that would fund the expansion of county transit services will be on the ballot.
The referendum would bring the county’s sales tax rate to 7.5 percent, and is expected to generate $163 million by 2035.
The increase would help fund the creation of a 17.3 mile light rail connecting UNC Hospitals and Durham, an Amtrak station in Hillsborough and the expansion of local bus services.
Durham County voters approved the same tax increase last November.
The proposal — outlined in the Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan and approved by the Orange County Board of Commissioners in June — has sparked controversy among local officials, residents and students.
Some rural residents argue the plan wouldn’t bring them the same benefits, as it would expand services mostly to the urban areas of the county.
Others have said Orange County’s population density wouldn’t support the light rail, and they worry about having enough money to fund the $1.4 billion light rail plan.
But some local organizations — such as Tar Heels for Transit and Durham-Orange County Friends of Transit — believe the proposal will help guide the future of growth and economic development in the area.
