The executive committee for the Tristate's main transportation planning agency Thursday accepted the recently unveiled regional light-rail plan, and even voted to support the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority's MetroMoves plan, which includes light rail as well as bus upgrades.

        But the decisions by the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Government's executive committee didn't come without worry that the agency could be drawn into the anticipated political fight over whether to raise Hamilton County's sales tax to help pay for the plan.

        “This could mean a change in the policy and practice of this agency, and could be interpreted that we are in favor of a tax increase, when we are prohibited from taking a stand,” said committee member Ralph B. Grieme Jr. during a heated debate over whether the resolution that accepted the plan should include the MetroMoves proposal or even include the word “endorse.”

        Metro officials are currently considering whether to seek a tax levy in November to pay the local portion of the proposed 30-year plan, which would cost $2.7 billion in Hamilton County alone for both light rail and bus improvements.

        The entire regional rail plan for Butler, Warren, Hamilton and Clermont counties in Ohio and Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties in Northern Kentucky has an overall price tag of more than $4 billion.

        The agency has until Aug. 22 to make a decision to put such a proposed tax increase on the November ballot. The SORTA board has postponed its monthly meeting, previously scheduled for Tuesday, to provide more time to gather input and make a final decision.

        Metro general manager and chief executive officer Paul Jablonski has previously said that a half-cent sales-tax increase would cover the local portion of MetroMoves. He has also said that if local funding is not secured soon, the region could miss out on federal funds, appropriated only about every five years, which would account for about half the cost of the project.

        Ultimately, the OKI committee voted merely to accept the regional rail plan after an amendment from Mr. Grieme that struck the word “endorse” and eliminated the MetroMoves plan. But a later resolution was approved that supported the MetroMoves plan, only to be followed by yet another resolution from Mr. Grieme that said the new motion should not be interpreted as endorsing any tax increase.

        “How long would it be before such an endorsement would show up in advertising for a tax levy?” asked Mr. Grieme, a member of the Northern Kentucky Planning Commission. “I really question the timing of this, coming just weeks before SORTA is making a decision on this tax.”

        SORTA can put the tax before voters, but the agency is precluded from campaigning for the issue. OKI also is legally prohibited from taking any stands on tax issues.

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