Each and every day that you purchase something in your community, you pay sales tax. While a few items, such as groceries, are exempt, nearly all other items you purchase – goods and services – include sales tax. We pay and we move on, hardly giving that “tax” line on our receipt a second thought.
However, when you pay that sales tax within the Chehalis and Centralia city borders, you are supporting a vital community service – one that gives back to the community many times over: Twin Transit.
Two tenths of a percent (0.2%) of every dollar paid in sales tax to businesses that operate within the service area of Twin Transit go toward funding the local transit authority. That’s not a lot. “If the average household spends $500 per month on taxable goods,” explains Twin Transit’s General Manager Rob LaFontaine, “that amounts to only $1 per month of total sales tax paid to Twin Transit. With neighboring counties taking up to the state limit of 0.9%, Twin Transit’s tax burden is one of the lowest.”
The incredible part is what Twin Transit can do with that 0.2%. “The funds we receive from local sales tax can be leveraged to receive matching grants from the state and federal government,” shares LaFontaine. Essentially, with a bit of effort, Twin Transit can capture federal dollars, collected from gas tax and funnel them back into the local community.
“Sales tax collected makes up about 65% of our budget with 30% coming in the form of grants and the remaining 5-6% coming from fares,” says LaFontaine. And the majority of that budget is spent right back in the community paying the 28 Twin Transit employees, locals who enjoy stable, secure jobs. In addition, dollars are paid back to Lewis County businesses through purchases of tires, parts and services. “Our community is getting those dollars back that would have otherwise been granted elsewhere,” LaFontaine says.
“But I don’t ride the bus,” you might say.
It’s true. Many of us don’t rely upon public transportation. However, there are many people who do, using Twin Transit to get to work, school, see family, do their shopping and be part of the community.
By spending your shopping dollars within your community – at small, local shops as well as large national retailers – you are helping to support a service that isn’t just convenient, it’s vital.
Rhonda Symonds is a Twin Transit bus operator. She can be found on Route 12 in Chehalis and has created relationships with her regular riders. Rhonda knows first-hand how important Twin Transit is to the community. As a 20-year employee, Rhonda’s job has provided reliable income for her family, income that comes directly from sales tax paid by her neighbors and friends when they shop right here at home.
Rhonda sees the broader impact each day. “If we weren’t there to pick people up,” she says, “they simply couldn’t get out and about. The elderly may not leave home. Students couldn’t get to classes. People couldn’t get to their jobs, do their errands, go to the doctor.” She explains how the impact trickles down through the community. As she delivers people to work and school, they are the same people serving you lunch, teaching at your church, sitting in your class or helping you at the bank.
“I really enjoy interacting with my riders,” Rhonda shares. “Without the bus system, so many people would be isolated. I can see how just a smile from me and a ‘good morning’ can change someone’s mood.”
Donna Gauger, Twin Transit’s Paratransit Coordinator, shares how providing flexible services can help build community and offer a helping hand when someone is in need – someone who never thought they’d use the bus.
“I had a recent call for a new paratransit rider who sadly is starting radiation treatment for cancer and now cannot drive,” shares Gauger. This new rider never thought they’d need paratransit service. “I’m touched by people who don’t want to inconvenience me by asking for help, but they need our services so badly. That’s what we provide. Service to those people who really need it, and sometimes never knew they would.”
Gauger also shares the story of Devon who uses a fixed-route deviation to get to her job at Security State Bank. “Devon has Down Syndrome and has been using our service for more than eight years. Devon couldn’t get to and from her job without us, and when she works, she becomes a productive part of the community.”
These stories are possible because dollars are spent, and sales tax is paid, by people shopping within the Chehalis and Centralia area. “People are supporting Devon and all our riders by shopping locally. Even if they don’t use the service, they are part of the solution for people without transportation,” Gauger says.
With the Centralia Outlets alongside Interstate 5 and Lewis County sitting half-way between Seattle and Portland, the dollars coming in aren’t just from locals. “We get a tremendous amount of non-resident tax, too, to support our riders,” shares LaFontaine.
As you wrap up your holiday shopping or look to make a purchase in the new year, think about the 0.2% you are giving to Twin Transit. When you see a bus pass by or learn of a neighbor or friend using paratransit service to get around, pat yourself on the back. Your dollars, spent locally, are supporting your community, who in turn, are supporting you.
To learn more about Twin Transit’s fixed route and paratransit services visit them online or call 360-330-2072.
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