St. Petersburg Times: The Pinellas rail train quietly ramps up

Will Pinellas County voters be casting ballots on a sales tax increase to pay for buses and rail service?

Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch says yes. Welch and other officials have been vetting a proposal for rail and buses that will be presented to elected boards in St. Petersburg, Largo, Clearwater and finally the County Commission in January.

They won't ask for votes then, and the details are still to be ironed out in public meetings. But the essentials of the plan call for a 1-percent sales tax increase to go to the public. The property tax levy for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority would be eliminated, if the Florida Legislature agrees in next year's session. The sales tax, plus federal funding, would pay first for busline improvements, and ultimately rail.

For the full article, visit the St. Petersburg Times.