Politics

Onorato Will Sign Drink Tax Referendum

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato says he will sign the referendum passed earlier this week by County Council that will give voters the choice in November to repeal the county's 10 percent drink tax and increase property taxes to pay for mass transit, even though he'd rather not have a referendum at all.

Onorato says he had no choice but to support council's referendum, after drink tax opponents launched their own drive to get a referendum phasing out the tax. "The home rule charter is very clear any amendments to a budget has to be balanced. Their question is not balanced. They're taking away revenue and they're not even saying what to do if that passes," said Onorato during a taping of the KD-PG Sunday Edition.

Onorato says he feels caught between a rock and a hard place. State law says the county must provide matching funds to the Port Authority, but state lawmakers have given the county only two choices to raise those funds: a drink tax or a property tax increase.

"Every transit agency in the United States has a local dedicated tax except us. We're the only ones who use local property taxes and that's why our taxes are high. Almost all use a local sales which I wanted to use but Harrisburg didn't give me that option," said Onorato.

And given that choice, Onorato says, he must support the drink tax. "I will not allow this county to raise property taxes to fund mass transit. It's the wrong way to do it."

Onorato has not given the Port Authority any of the drink tax money collected so far and says he will not release it until he is satisfied that the Authority has taken steps to get its financial house in order. Onorato says he's especially looking at what comes of contract negotiations between the Authority and its drivers and mechanics, whose contracts expired last month.

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