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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | June 3, 2013 11:10 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Mark Mustio |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Reduction of parking fees at the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport |
| As you know, Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA) has a world class airport that has seen the number of flights significantly reduced since 9/11 and the reorganization of airlines and the reduction of flights out of Pittsburgh by approximately 400 per day. The ACAA has a parking lot on the airport property that can hold approximately 8,000 cars. As the ACAA’s parking lots are full numerous times during the year, several off airport property private parking companies park customer vehicles on their lots and then transport the passenger to the airport. The ACAA has a transponder placed on each shuttle van/bus and charges a fee each time the vehicle enters airport property. There is a gross receipts tax charge on the total revenue of these operators and the transponder fee is the way the revenue is collected on a monthly basis to be audited against the gross receipts at the end of the year. The ACAA continues to raise the gross receipts tax percentage and the trip fee to the detriment of passengers. The ACAA has been the beneficiary of gaming legislation to provide $150 million in revenue to reduce their debt due to the reduction in flights and resulting reduction in landing fees. The ACAA recently signed a contract with CONSOL Energy for the Marcellus shale gas rights on the airport property for $1 billion over 20 years. There are taxi cabs, limousines and local hotel shuttles that also enter the airport property but are charged a $2 per trip fee with no gross receipts tax in comparison to the off- airport parking lot operator per current trip fee that is $5 with a 5.5% gross receipts tax that is scheduled to increase to 8% in the near future. In the near future, I will be introducing legislation stating that the ACAA cannot charge a gross receipts tax and that their per trip fee is set at $2, with an annual adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index for the Pittsburgh area. No fees may be charged to register vehicles, equipment, for the use of transponders and no ancillary fees may be charged. Permit fees that were in effect as of January 1, 2013 may not be increased. The off airport parking lot operators are providing a tremendous service to the airport and passengers. This is especially true at certain times of the year when the ACAA parking lot is full. Thank you. |
Introduced as HB1524