Citing continued transit service in Polk County as a business, employment and economic issue, the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors have unanimously approved a resolution of support urging voters to approve a charter county transportation surtax of one-half percent (1/2 percent) to be considered on our November 2, 2010 ballot. You can read the full text of the resolution here.
The Board discussion noted that our transit system allows our citizens to work, shop, and seek healthcare and other pursuits through transportation that would not otherwise be available. These are the people who take care of our loved ones in clinics and hospitals, serve us in retail stores, scan our groceries, attend our colleges and universities as well as some who, due to physical limitations, have no other transportation available to help meet their needs.
Chamber President, Howard King noted, “Polk’s citizens have acted collectively to fund indigent healthcare needs as well as endangered land preservation. We believe public transit helps our citizens live with dignity and stay gainfully employed — and we believe our voters need to consider this investment a key element in taking care of one another. We urge our citizens to vote for the transit referendum.”
In addition, building our transit system will provide access into Polk County for the passengers on the new high speed rail line. If we don’t provide a way for folks to get off the train and get a bus or train to their destination in Polk County, we will simply become a “donor” county in terms of passengers leaving Polk for Tampa, Orlando, or other areas of Florida. What we want and need is for people to use the high speed rail and transit system to come INTO Polk County to do business, go to school, visit our attractions, etc. Without internal transit in our County, this won’t happen!