MICAH: MATA and Economic Equity Task Force Update
MICAH (Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope) is “a coalition of community and faith-based organizations joining together to give a more powerful voice for issues of justice in our city.” Future901 is excited to share this update and victory regarding Memphis Transit, which MICAH has been heavily involved in helping make happen.
WE WIN! The lack of funding for Memphis Transit has been an issue in our city for more than 30 years. In similar cities, like New Orleans or Milwaukee, the annual budget is $100 million. However, Memphis’ transit budget is $30 million lower than that. An investment in Memphis Transit is an investment in OUR community!
About a dozen MICAH leaders were present for the final reading of the ordinance at the June 21 City Council meeting and again at the June 27 County Commission meeting to stand together in support of a dedicated funding source for transit. And by a unanimous vote of the City Council and a solid majority of the County Commission, we got it!
In a historic move, our City Council and County Commission voted to designate retiring PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) revenue to public transit! The amounts in the funds will increase each year with the expectation of reaching $32 million annually by FY2032. This additional funding gets us closer to the $38 million deemed necessary to create a truly efficient and equitable transit system. No less than $4.5 million should go to the fund in FY2023.
MICAH’s persistence that our City and County governments find the necessary funding to implement the transit portion of Memphis 3.0 was an acknowledged factor in this success.
There’s still more to do, including holding our elected officials and MATA accountable for bringing its service in sync with what riders need. The fight continues. In the meantime, we celebrate this win along the way.
This article was originally shared in a MICAH newsletter on 7/12/22.