Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) Alternative Funding

Overview

House File 2579, passed in the 2022 session, included language directing the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) Alternative Funding Advisory Committee to study the most effective and efficient methods to increase funding for the Des Moines area regional transit authority that is alternative to an increase in property taxes. DART had been seeking legislative action this session on their hotel-motel tax proposal and this session's law language was passed by the legislature in response to DART’s proposal. Below is the specific legislative language regarding this advisory committee.

Sec. 19. Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority Alternative Funding Advisory Committee — Report.

1. The department of transportation shall establish a Des Moines area regional transit authority alternative funding advisory committee to study the most effective and efficient methods to increase funding for the Des Moines area regional transit authority that are alternative to an increase in property taxes.
2. The committee shall consist of five voting members and four ex officio, nonvoting members.
   1. The voting members of the committee shall be composed of all of the following:
      • The director of the department of transportation or a designee.
      • The director of the department of revenue or a designee.
      • A Polk county supervisor appointed by the governor.
      • A member of a city council or mayor of a city in Polk county in which the Des Moines area regional transit authority operates, appointed by the governor.
      • A representative of the Des Moines area regional transit authority appointed by the Des Moines area regional transit authority.
   2. The ex officio, nonvoting members of the committee shall be two state representatives, one appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one by the minority leader of the house of representatives, and two state senators, one appointed by the majority leader of the senate and one by the minority leader of the senate.
3. Staffing services shall be provided by the department of transportation in coordination with the department of revenue.
4. The committee shall submit a report containing its findings and recommendations to the general assembly on or before December 15, 2022.
5. This section is repealed January 1, 2023.

Membership

Appointments to the advisory committee have been completed. The advisory committee’s five voting members and four ex-officio, non-voting members are as follows:

Voting

• Director Scott Marler, Iowa DOT, Co-Chair
• Director Kraig Paulsen, Iowa Department of Revenue, Co-Chair
• Supervisor Steve Van Oort, Polk County Board of Supervisors
• Councilperson Kelly Whiting, Ankeny City Council
• Mayor Paula Dierenfeld, City of Johnston

Ex-Officio

• Representative Brian Best, Iowa House District 12
• Representative Marti Anderson, Iowa House District 36
• Senator Brad Zaun, Iowa Senate District 20
• Senator Janet Petersen, Iowa Senate District 18

Documents and Resources
October 7, 2022 Meeting

• Agenda
• Minutes
• DOT Presentation
• DART Presentation

November 18, 2022 Meeting

• Agenda
• DOT Presentation
• DOR Presentation

Past Studies

• Related studies for passenger transportation have been conducted by Iowa DOT and DART in recent years. A DART study was completed in 2017 and formed the basis for their legislative recommendation.
• Iowa DOT has also developed documents, including the 2009 Iowa Transportation Funding Study and in 2020, the Iowa Public Transit 2050 Long Range Plan.