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(Des Moines, IA) -- A 2.5% increase to Des Moines' franchise fee on gas and electricity bills could be coming. The City Council voted Monday to direct City Manager Scott Sanders to draft a potential fee increase.
Carol Maher lives in Des Moines.
"Sure, I own a car but it's a 15 minute walk uphill both ways to get to the park and ride where I store it," Maher says. "When it's cold, the bus stop across the street from my apartment is much more inviting than that walk."
The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority is currently undergoing changes dubbed Reimagine DART. The public transportation system currently serves the state's largest city and eight of its suburbs, but some mayors of the surrounding areas are asking for more contribution from the city. In a statement to WHO Radio News, DART CEO Amanda Wanke explains why the city is choosing this route.
"DART is already collecting the maximum amount it can from the City of Des Moines through the transit property tax levy," Wanke says. "Which is why the City is considering whether to increase its franchise fee to fund its contribution to DART that is above what DART can collect in property taxes."
The proposal would increase the franchise fee from 5% to 7.5%.