Battle Continues Over Anti-SMART Petition Signatures

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit district may decide how many signatures are needed to repeal the quarter-cent sales tax that helps finance the passenger train and pathway between the two counties.

The Sonoma and Marin counties' Registrar of Voters Offices will receive the petitions now being circulated by RepealSMART, verify the signatures and certify the results, Sonoma County Assistant Registrar of Voters Gloria Colter said.

"SMART will determine whether it (the vote to repeal the sales tax) goes on the ballot," Colter said.

It is still uncertain whether RepealSMART needs 15,000 or 39,000 signatures to place the measure on the ballot this year. The deadline to collect signatures is Jan. 27.

RepealSMART spokesman Clay Mitchell said he does not know how many signatures have been gathered in the two counties.

Mitchell said he is still waiting for an official confirmation from the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office regarding the decision to have SMART determine whether the issue goes before voters.

Mitchell said he also wants to consult with the California  Secretary of State's Office.

RepealSMART says voters in 2008 approved the sales tax for a 70-mile train and bike and pedestrian path between Cloverdale and Larkspur. The project, however, has been reduced to a 39-mile line between Santa Rosa and San Rafael because of funding shortfalls.

The line is slated to include two stations in Novato, a north one near the junction of Atherton Avenue and North Redwood Boulevard and a south one off Hamilton Parkway in Hamilton.

SMART hopes to complete that $395 million segment by 2016 and build the entire project when funding is available.
Consequently, RepealSMART now wants voters to decide whether the tax should be repealed.

— Bay City News Service