More than 100 signs reading "Future Bus Stop" have been placed throughout Cache County by proponents of a ballot proposal to have regular Utah Transit Authority service between Logan and the Wasatch Front.
Mary Ann Warren, who heads the recently formed "Citizens For A Bus" committee, said even though the UTA proposal will share the ballot with political candidates on Tuesday, "we do not consider this a political issue."If the proposal is approved, there will be a one-quarter-cent increase in the local sales tax. UTA officials say that would raise about $875,000 for bus service throughout Logan City, from outlying Cache communities into Logan and for several daily routes to the Wasatch Front, including express runs to Salt Lake City International Airport.
Opponents were organized earlier under the leadership of LaMar Clements of Cache Junction, who said he considers the proposal a political issue because "UTA is a government entity, it has taxing authority, yet pays no taxes.
"I do not believe it provides enough benefits for the tax subsidy it would receive," said Clements, the only member of a county advisory board who opposed the addition of Cache bus service.
Clements said he is not actually against a transit system, but believes it should evolve through private enterprise.
Cache County Council Chairman Jay Monson said the council asked UTA officials to draft a proposal after surveys showed transportion was a high priority for residents and because no one seemed willing to start a private bus system.
The proposal has been endorsed by student body officers at Utah State University, several candidates running for election and agencies serving senior citizens, low-income families and the handicapped.