PITTSBURGH -- The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania notified Friends Against Counterproductive Taxation (F.A.C.T.) Friday that it accepted their appeal regarding the proposed drink tax referendum to have the Allegheny County Drink Tax reduced from 10 percent to 5 percent.

Allegheny County businessman and F.A.C.T. Board member Kevin Joyce said, "The Supreme Court's decision to hear this landmark case gives us renewed hope that the voices of 45,000 citizens that signed a petition to put the reduction of the drink tax in front of Allegheny County voters will finally be heard. "

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato projects the current 10 percent tax will generate up to $43 million -- about $16 million more than needed for Port Authority's subsidy. He recently proposed cutting the drink tax rate to 7 percent and using any extra money to help pay off debt incurred for road and bridge work.

"That's our position. That's what's in our budget and we believe that's the interpretation of the (law)," Onorato said.