Here we go again, just another tax increase that will vanish into thin air, enough aiready.

See Shakopee, this is what you get when you elect a Prom King and not a leader. Invest in building bigger roads, not a Government subsidized, sorry, Tax Payers Money subsidized transit system. Major Tabke, pull your head out and look around. We, Tax Payers, can't keep taking these kinds of hits. Your desirer to move up politically, does not mean you have to be someones lap dog.

Oh my gosh I agree with the comments, enough is enough! Stop this taxing! I can attest to most people I know in Shakopee agree with the others commenting as well! Stop and just MAINTAIN the city rather than try and create a whole new world. We are tapped out as it is, STOP ADDING To OUR TAX BURDENS! Sheesh. This Tabke may be a nice guy, but his head is WAYYYY to big.

I politely disagree. We have cars and buses that already do the job and if we do not have the money we simply do not have the money. It's that easy. There are so many other things to take in consideration the last of our problems is the "future" of transit and getting to and fro. People don't ride trains and buses like they do cars. If you need to get somewhere get in your car and go. There are plenty more things to address than some "future" transportation issues. My immediate issues are paying my bills, trying to save for MY future and my children's and the cost of gas, health bills, etc. You can spout out numbers all you want out of some journal but I don't work in "Bloomington" or on "Excelsior Blvd". I live in Shakopee, my kids go to school in Shakopee and I choose to work in Chaska. My husband works in Minneapolis and has no problem getting there in his car. Not a problem for me or the majority of others. If you want to work in St. Paul and have a problem go live there or drive a car or take a bus like others do. Seriously no reason to panic over "future growth blah blah". Let me reiterate what I said before. If we DON'T have the money DON'T spend it. I could go on this all day. You want me to address a real issue I will, this isn't one of them, yet. Which it unfortunately probably will thanks to Dayton and the way he spends our money. Now is not the time for this. Mayor-did you ask your citizens before going forward representing our city?

Also-I understand 25 cents doesn't seem like much, but where does it end? It's only the beginning.

I also understand it is pointless for me to even give my opinion since there is nothing little ol me can do or say and the Mayor, Governor, Congress, Senator whoever will do what they want anyway. With all that said you can only hope for the best and be happy anyways. Thank you for your explanation Mayor, I respect that you wrote directly to me, as a citizen of Shakopee, took the time to actually respond is not something you see to often these days.

Brad - Please take note of a better idea to handle city growth. Rio de Janeiro's mayor has a much better and cheaper solution to handle their traffic now, and with the upcoming need to host the next Olympic games. I refer you to this video for more details - Eduardo Paes: The 4 commandments of cities http://www.ted.com/talks/eduardo_paes_the_4_commandments_of_cities.html
Go to time stamp 4:15 for the specific relevance to this topic. Or watch the whole thing for general knowledge sake.

Cheaper, more scalable and able to go where the need is. All the things Light Rail cannot do. Please do not support an option that just soaks the public further.

That's what we need , more taxes to support another boondoggle which will continue to lose money, which will continue to need MORE taxes to exist. When will you idiots learn that this is not going to save money. It only serves to line the pockets of politicians, lobbyists, and continues to make voters look like fools for electing these leeches as our so-called leaders. what a joke......

Brad - I see that the link you provided partly does that, but this line worries me:

Full funding for Southwest light rail capital and operating expenses

Why is Light Rail something being discussed? I don't understand why you guys are supporting something that is so very obviously a bad idea.

I'm not a super political person, but I agree with the Mayor on this one.
I for one, am in favor of paying a little more in taxes to improve our transit system. I rely on the transit system to get to and from work everyday. I do not want to drive to Minneapolis everyday. I know a lot of others from Shakopee ride the bus as well. Some days we have over 55 people on the bus for the ride home. That's 55 less cars on 169 for the rush to the cities. Bus ridership is growing and we need to be able to handle the growth. The only time I jump in my car & go, is when I need to go to Cub. :)

Well hooray for Mary and not wanting to drive and working downtown. Many of us that would ride a bus but can't is because we don't work in Minneapolis. Minnesota short sights every design, we have a $500,000 fix on the brand spanking new Highway 13 flyover. While hooray and pats on the back for FINALLY fixing 169/494 interchange (which should have been designed correctly from the get go)...there is still an issue. 169 is a double ended funnel between 494 and the Bloomington Ferry Bridge. Compounding the issue is the FACT (and I mean FACT) that 90% of the Minnesota drivers cannot merge, plan ahead or have common courtesy to other drivers, this causes the back ups that are still plaguing that part of 169. Another glaring example of poor road design...the 101 river crossing....great that we are finally going to get it but the designing of a roundabout taking out the Y intersection on the north side of the river is completely idiotic. We are stopped on First Avenue in the mornings because drivers cannot merge correctly; they cross solid white lines and always want to merge as soon as they get onto the bridge instead of driving down the length of the bridge and merging. Then traffic stops again at the left turn light because the lane is not wide enough to get by those turning. Taxing us for more buses is not the solution.

And Mr. Mayor -- you talked to people? There wasn't even a call out for to the community for their comments. What has happened to your consistent barrage of information and this wasn't even mentioned?

If these projects, and their false analysis were truly exposed to the taxpayer, they would not be so easily sucked in to another taxpayer gouging redisributionist attempt at people control. read agenda 21

Just a clarification, the article says .25 cent sales tax. Its actually a 1/4 percent sales tax increase from 6.875 to 7.125 and I suspect if the sales tax is expanded to services, so goes this additional 1/4 percent along with any other additional itemized increase besides transportation. I expect another 1/4 percent for a grand total of 7.375 or 7.5% sales tax on goods and services. Growing the economy on the backs of taxpayers.

Mayor Tabke is just part of the disease that is going to wipe the middle class out. Part of a Socialist disease, that makes everyone the same. People will eventually feel good about their crappy apartments, food lines, gas lines and massive black markets. But, you will feel secure because that is what America wants right now. I know I am going a little far right now, but you have to take things to the end point. That end point is, in America you will have the rich and the poor and nothing in the middle. Come on Mayor Tabke tell me where I am wrong... tell that you are not a liberal... then prove it by telling what the plan for Shakopee is.

Big_Phish---I couldn't agree with you more but why is it most people agree with us, it's really the consensus in my family, friends, work place, neighborhood, these forums...so what's going on??? It's sad, scary and so so frustrating. Middle class is probably the toughest as far as getting by. Cost of living is one of the biggest problems whether it be rent, buying an overpriced house in Shakopee, paying property taxes, income taxes, you name it. I guess we just keep treading water. It seems our voices are always left out. These guys have to stop running for office for their own benefit and try to think of what the fundamental reason is of having a public service position--it is intended to be a voice for the people, to oversee that things run smoothly (not corrupt)--that people aren't taken advantage of and that we can be safe, etc etc. Leave Shakopee the way it is, what's wrong with that? I can't afford any more of this.

There is a growing trend where people want security more then the want freedom. Politicians play on that very well.

Oh my Gosh!! I just did the route planner from my home to work. It would take 1hour and 46 minutes. South Bridge to Minneapolis to Excelsior. Not a chance in Heck!!
Try it.
http://metrotransit.org/tripplanner/

I did the metro transit planner and it tells me a trip is not possible from my area of Shakopee near Home Depot to Minnetonka where I work. OH PLEASE PLEASE can I pay more taxes to fix this?

Give me a break. The ONLY reason I stay in Minnesota is because we have family near and we have 3 boys. Otherwise I would move to a less taxed state in a heart beat. We have no politicians at the local or state level that can actually think critically or long term without immediately going to the most expensive solution in the process.

169 needs another lane both directions crossing the river to 494 if not farther north. 101 should be 4 lanes all the way up the hill to 494 (Beard and Robling worked hard on that one). A future 2030 41 river crossing needs to be pushed up into the next 10 years. This crossing is suppose to tie in to the new 312. 169 and 41 would be the place for a mass transit site instead of 169/marshall but, that's past and done. If we as a state/county/city cant build a road system adequate for the population in over 100 years, where should I as a taxpayer be finding my confidence for government transit? 5 years I have been demanding our buses connect to Eden Prairie and Burnsville's systems, this should be a requirement under law that all public funded transit systems must be inter-connect or no funding. Now its, where taking your money now and MAY consider these things in 2018. 2016/2017 I bet they need more and more money to continue to meet the 2018 goals of inter connections. Oh, don't take me wrong, transit has a place but must be done correctly. $3.50 for a ride to mpls is to low, I cant ride my motorcycle to mpls for that.

here is the Met Council plan
http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MNORGMETC/2013/03/04/file_attachments/194093/Transit%2BNetwork%2BGovernor%2527s%2BBudget.jpg

Notice it says TBD for 169 and 212
Its a southwest metro tax grab for Hiawatha light rail and a 394/35w mnpass lane.

http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MNORGMETC/2013/03/04/file_attachments/194101/Transit%2BNetwork%2BCurrent%2BCommitments.jpg

Call for the disbanding of the Met Council...plenty of money saved from doing so. The Met Council will take the 1/4 cent hike and spend it on the projects that benefit everyone else but the communities south of the Minnesota River. That has been proven time and time again. BUT NO....the new mayor believes by throwing in "Shakopee's" will of the people it will be different this time.