JohnAKeith
Senior Member
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2008
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Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos
I haven't done much research on the T's finances, but ... (terrible way to start a comment, I know) ... here are my thoughts. Sorry for being long-winded.
Based on the MBTA budgets from its website (warning, PDF), the T has run an annual surplus for eight of the past 11 years.
Since 2001, annual total revenues have increased about 61% while annual total expenses (minus debt service) have increased about 75.5%. Debt service has gone up 44.5%. So, a problem exists, but there are other factors at work that should be recognized.
"Dedicated local assessment revenue" has gone up 4.5% during the past decade. This is the amount the T charges the ~151 municipalities in the Commonwealth that have residents who use (or could use) public transportation.
It looks as though it was supposed to go up exactly 2.5% each year, but in 2010-2011 it did not (presumably due to the drop in state aid during this time).
If instead of no increase it had continued to increase by 2.5% for fiscal years 2011 and 2012, it would be $157 million instead of $152 million, raising $5 million more.
Revenue from the 1% of the 6.25% state sales tax has gone up 31.5%, which sounds good, but the amount has stayed the same for each of the past three years (not sure how this was set) and is estimated to go up by just $10 million (1.3%) in fiscal year 2012.
If, instead, sales tax revenue had increased somewhere in its regular range of $15 million per year, the T would received $812 million in 2012 instead of the projected $777 million. This is an additional $35 million.
So, the T would have $40 million more without doing anything right now if it had raised revenues at the historic rate.
Obviously, it would still be ~$121 million in the red, but by 25% less.
I haven't done much research on the T's finances, but ... (terrible way to start a comment, I know) ... here are my thoughts. Sorry for being long-winded.
Based on the MBTA budgets from its website (warning, PDF), the T has run an annual surplus for eight of the past 11 years.
Since 2001, annual total revenues have increased about 61% while annual total expenses (minus debt service) have increased about 75.5%. Debt service has gone up 44.5%. So, a problem exists, but there are other factors at work that should be recognized.
"Dedicated local assessment revenue" has gone up 4.5% during the past decade. This is the amount the T charges the ~151 municipalities in the Commonwealth that have residents who use (or could use) public transportation.
It looks as though it was supposed to go up exactly 2.5% each year, but in 2010-2011 it did not (presumably due to the drop in state aid during this time).
If instead of no increase it had continued to increase by 2.5% for fiscal years 2011 and 2012, it would be $157 million instead of $152 million, raising $5 million more.
Revenue from the 1% of the 6.25% state sales tax has gone up 31.5%, which sounds good, but the amount has stayed the same for each of the past three years (not sure how this was set) and is estimated to go up by just $10 million (1.3%) in fiscal year 2012.
If, instead, sales tax revenue had increased somewhere in its regular range of $15 million per year, the T would received $812 million in 2012 instead of the projected $777 million. This is an additional $35 million.
So, the T would have $40 million more without doing anything right now if it had raised revenues at the historic rate.
Obviously, it would still be ~$121 million in the red, but by 25% less.