RTA sales-tax vote sets May 2027 ballot plan; board to pick 0.25% or 0.5%

On July 7, 2026, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) Board voted on sending a Cuyahoga County sales-and-use tax question to voters. News 5 Cleveland reports that the measure is headed for a May 2027 ballot, but the final sales-tax level is still undecided—0.25% or 0.5%.

GCRTA’s board will determine how much to ask voters for by Sept. 22, a key date that will shape the exact question riders and taxpayers see on the ballot.

The underlying ballot question centers on GCRTA’s existing 1% sales and use tax “for all transit purposes.” In its July agenda materials, GCRTA described increasing that existing rate by up to 0.5% (for a total of up to 1.5%) to generate additional general revenue for a continuing period.

What changed after the July 7 board vote

RideRTA’s public notice for the July 7 meeting says the board took up a special vote on submitting the question to Cuyahoga County electors for “specified election dates in 2026 or 2027.”

Before the July 7 vote, Axios reported the board was weighing a November 2026 ballot option versus delaying until 2027. After the July 7 decision, News 5 Cleveland reports the plan moved to a May 2027 timeline.

What voters would be asked to approve

News 5 Cleveland reports that Cuyahoga County voters would be asked to approve either a 0.25% or 0.5% sales tax increase next May to raise an additional $70 million to $140 million per year for GCRTA.

Even after the July vote put the measure on the May 2027 path, the board still has to pick the final rate level by Sept. 22.

Rider and taxpayer stakes: what happens without the boost

Axios reports that without new revenue, transit officials say GCRTA would have to begin incrementally cutting service.

News 5 Cleveland also pointed to how tight GCRTA’s finances have been: the agency sought to close a $78 million budget deficit tied to rising expenses, including a 24% increase in healthcare costs and the expiration of COVID and infrastructure funds. The RTA initially proposed a 12% service cut before it was lowered to 3%; the agency also put in place a hiring freeze and eliminated vacant positions, among other cost-saving steps.

Ideastream Public Media reports that without pursuing the sales tax increase, GCRTA says it would need $30 million in service and expense reductions by 2029, including eliminating 10 routes and reducing frequency along 27 others. Those potential reductions would come in addition to a 3% service reduction GCRTA is expected to implement in August.

On the rider-experience side, Ideastream reports that the Healthline currently runs every 15 minutes, but with a 0.5% sales tax increase a bus would be expected every 7.5 minutes—along with other improvements tied to the additional funding.

What to watch next

The next concrete milestone is Sept. 22, when the board will determine how much to ask voters for. After that, the ballot language—and the practical difference between the 0.25% and 0.5% options—should become clearer for Cuyahoga County voters heading into the May 2027 election.

Sources

• RideRTA (GCRTA) — July 7, 2026 Board & Committee Meetings page
• News 5 Cleveland — RTA to put sales tax ask before voters in May 2027
• Axios Cleveland — RTA sales tax increase may head to the ballot box
• Ideastream Public Media — Cleveland public transit likely facing more cuts without sales tax increase