Another wasteful tax is Not SMART!
ATTENTION WAYNE COUNTY RESIDENTS:
Wayne County, through its Transit Authority, is looking to impose A NEW TAX on over one million residents, including a double tax on the City of Detroit.
This tax, totaling at least a HALF A BILLION DOLLARS, will continue to waste money on the wildly inefficient and wasteful system that is the Southeast Michigan Authority for Regional Transit, or SMART. This tax increase is a bad idea, and we want taxpayers to know it is Not SMART.
Complete this form to join our movement to fight off this ridiculous tax!
Read more below to find out how your money is wasted, how their promises aren’t kept, and how they are hiding their poor performance.
New Bus Tax
Presentation
Get Involved
Not SMART is a group of citizens organizing to reduce costs and return money to the pockets of Wayne County voters. For some municipalities, this effort is a message to the inefficient SMART system that we will not be pumping more money into their poorly-run program. And for others, this effort rejects the idea that our citizens should pay for a service that residents don’t want or need.
The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transit, or SMART, is the regional provider of fixed-line bus services in Wayne County outside of Detroit. Detroit has its own system called DDOT. Since 1994, cities and townships in Wayne County have had the right to opt-out of the fixed-line service. But in 2024, the right of much of Wayne County to opt-out was removed by the State Legislature.
In 2026, SMART will be putting a new tax for the communities not previously covered, and a renewal for those already paying, on the ballot. It’s a bad idea for taxpayers. because:
-
Bus fares contribute only 3% of revenue.
-
The average bus has just 4.5 riders.
-
SMART pension fund has a $72M dollar hole.
-
Taxpayers already subsidize 97% of SMART cost.
-
No local control
-
Service not tied to contribution
