Tax increase to fund Wave Transit would have to be approved by residents

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — New Hanover County Commissioner Deb Hays is clarifying recent talk about a potential county tax increase to fund Wave Transit.

Last year, the county commissioned a study to reduce the yearly cost of the public transportation service. Cost cutting changes were set to take effect in August 2021, but on Tuesday county commissioners and city councilmembers voted to delay that until next year.

Hayes says this was to give recently hired Wave Executive Director Marie Parker additional time to review those recommended changes.

“That’s just not significant time for Ms. Parker to do a thorough review and investigation,” Hays said. “I feel confident that she will bring back changes, but we hope that they will be very positive changes and will really set Wave on the path to providing greater transit service to our community.”

Any new changes will not be implemented before July 1, 2022.

Another reason for the delay is due to additional funding availability since the original study was done. The CARES Act and some other coronavirus relief packages could provide additional funding to Wave.

However, those additional funds might not be enough. Hays, the only elected official on the Wave Transit Board of Directors, says a quarter-cent sales tax is just one of many options being considered to provide additional support to Wave. That option could provide an estimated $12 million annually. That money could be used not just for Wave, but also other infrastructure like rail and bicycle trails.

“I’m not a big fan of increasing taxes because I know that that can negatively affect our lower income citizens, and I want to be very very aware and cautious of that,” Hays said. “However if that was the chosen path, which that hasn’t been decided yet but if that was the chosen path, that would come before the citizens and they would vote on that.”

Hays also sits on a new wave subcommittee that will hold three meetings in May and present findings to the city and county in June.