Leander voters narrowly approve Prop A, reject Prop B concerning CapMetro agreement

LEANDER, Texas - It looks like CapMetro is here to stay in Leander.

Leander voters have narrowly approved Proposition A, which continues the city's agreement with the transit agency, allowing for existing services to continue.

Proposition A is passing with 59 percent of voters saying yes, and 41 percent saying no according to results posted Saturday night. Leander voters in Travis County voted against the proposition 55 to 45 percent, while voters in Williamson County voted to keep the transit service 61 to 39 percent.

VIEW FULL MAY 7 ELECTION RESULTS

Proposition B looks poised to fail however, as results posted Saturday night show that 58 percent of voters have voted no, with over 50 percent in both counties voting no. This now means that CapMetro will continue to be funded by the one-percent sales tax in the city.

Tentative agreement to keep Leander in CapMetro, voters decide

The decision to keep Leander as a city partner of CapMetro is now in the hands of the voters.

Prop B would have recaptured the one-percent sales tax after the city's financial obligation to Capital Metro was paid off, which was estimated as of Dec. 31 to be just over $42 million.

Leander has paid a lot of money into the transit agency. City officials say since 1985, the amount of sales tax contribution totals $64 million. In the next 10 years, the amount is projected to be $164 million because of growth.

CapMetro issued a statement following the election, saying:

"CapMetro looks forward to its continued partnership with the City of Leander and appreciates Leander voters recognizing the vital role public transit has in the community.

In continued support of the partnership, recently CapMetro and the City of Leander entered into an agreement that will provide the city with additional funds to build transit-supportive infrastructure. Additionally, the CapMetro Board of Directors created a $10 million infrastructure fund that will not only benefit the City of Leander, but also the other small member cities in CapMetro’s service area.

The two-way partnership between CapMetro and the City of Leander is important for so many people, and the impact of this collaboration will only increase as the region continues to grow."