PROVO — An opportunity for Utah County residents to vote on a tax increase to fund commuter rail and transportation projects is getting closer.

The Utah County Commission took care of some paperwork Tuesday in preparation for putting a quarter-cent sales tax increase on the ballot in November.

If it passes, the tax increase is estimated to generate more than $600 million by 2030. About $60 million of that is planned for two road projects, and the rest is expected to go toward transit — including a commuter rail line connecting Salt Lake and Utah counties.

But before commissioners could move forward on the matter, they had to revisit the county's failed bid to put the increase on the ballot in 2004. That proposal called for 100 percent of revenue from the quarter-cent sales tax increase to go toward road projects.

Mayors were opposed to the tax increase at the time, and Commissioner Steve White ultimately sided with then-Commissioner Gary Herbert to put off raising local taxes in hopes of getting funding from the state Legislature.

In order to change the percentage of revenues going toward a fixed guideway system (commuter rail), public transit and state highway projects, commissioners needed to rescind the 2004 resolution, which they did by a 2-to-1 vote.

Commissioner Jerry Grover voted to put the tax increase on the ballot in 2004 but cast an opposing vote Tuesday to rescind the resolution, saying he's not convinced commuter rail is the answer to Utah County's transportation problems.

"Nothing against commuter rail, but it's only a portion of the solution," Grover said.

The county needs east-west connector roads in order to access commuter rail and make it effective, he said.

Darrell Cook, executive director of the Mountainland Association of Governments, agreed that east-west connectors are important and said he expects those needs to be addressed in the next few years.

"It's a step-by-step process," Cook said. "Going heavy into commuter rail at this time is our best option."

In June, mayors of Utah County cities and towns voted to support the commission in putting the sales tax increase on the ballot.

A quarter-cent sales tax currently is applied to transit operations in Utah County. Legislation sponsored by Rep. Jeff Alexander, R-Orem, and passed in 2003 gives county leaders the option of putting a second quarter-cent on the ballot to fund transportation projects.

Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties already have dedicated a second quarter-cent to transit projects. Construction of a commuter rail service connecting the three counties is under way and expected to be up and running by 2008.

If the public votes in favor of the increase, interim commuter rail could arrive in Utah County as soon as 2011 and permanent service by 2013.

"If we are successful (in the vote) and able to move forward, I fully expect what happened in (Davis and Weber counties) to happen here," Cook said.

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