Perrysburg council puts levy on ballot

Planning for a new public transportation service in Perrysburg was put on hold Tuesday night when officials delayed selecting a contractor to run the operation.

But the delay was not enough to stop Perrysburg City Council from voting to place a new 1.45-mill, five-year transit levy on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Concerns over Dallas-based MV Transportation not being the lowest bidder and vagueness in other transit companies' bids were among reasons council members said they needed more time.

"We're doing a lot of guessing," Councilman John Kevern said during the meeting attended by about 25 people.

The board set a 6 p.m. Tuesday special committee meeting to determine how to restart the process for choosing a company to replace the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority in Perrysburg.

That may include in-person interviews, Councilman Timothy McCarthy said.

Earlier in July, a city committee recommended MV Transportation instead of Toledo-based Black & White Transportation. MV bid $705,156 to run the city's shuttle service for the first year; Black & White bid $619,336.

On Tuesday, Black & White owner Scott Potter lobbied for the city to select his firm, which provides transit service in Bowling Green, because of its local presence.

"We have a huge stake in the community," Mr. Potter said.

Council's vote to place the transit levy, which would generate $824,476 in the first year and would cost the owner of a $100,000 house about $44 annually, on the November ballot was unanimous.

Under TARTA, Perrysburg taxpayers paid 2.5 mills, which generated about $1.5 million.

Perrysburg officials have stressed they will not sign a final contract with any transit operator until after the election.

City officials have planned their own independent transit service for several months after city voters decided in March to withdraw from TARTA. Critics complained that the regional authority cost too much for the service Perrysburg residents used.