Sylvania Township chairman explains TARTA ballot issue

John Jennewine Enlarge

Sylvania Township trustees have voted to put the issue of membership in the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority on the November ballot.

The state legislature has provided a relatively narrow window to allow member governments to put the issue up for a vote by the residents. The township trustees believe that the residents should be given that opportunity.

Although the trustees have in the past year looked at providing an alternate transit system should the township leave TARTA, there is no current plan to do so.

At this time there is a regional transit system in place and the question to be answered at the ballot box in November is simple: to remain in the regional transit authority or to opt out.

A number of political entities have been wrestling with the TARTA issue, including our neighbor, the city of Sylvania. City officials have recently reached out to us for possible future discussions.

Anything of substance which may come from those discussions will, of course, be made public.

The most reliable news and most quickly available will be at the township’s Web site: www.sylvaniatownship.com.

Although trustees may have their individual opinions on the issue, a majority of the board has chosen not to make a recommendation.