HONOLULU -- The Honolulu City Council moved a step closer Wednesday to putting the rail transit issue on the ballot in November while debating the creation of a transit authority.

There are so many different transit proposals on the table even council members are having trouble keeping them straight.

Part of the confusion is about whether they should create a transit authority. There is concern about how the members would be picked and how much control the City Council would have over the transit authority.

"If you want a transit authority you should have elected officials from the people being able to exercise some reasonable degree of checks and balance over the authority," Councilman Charles Djou said.

There are others who say the transit authority should be completely autonomous with no check on their power.

Stop Rail Now leader Cliff Slater had a biting comment on the prospect of a transit authority.

"I came in this morning, opened my laptop and I googled 'transit authority' in quotes and 'corruption.' I got 69,000 returns," Slater said.

The transit authority issue goes back to committee.

There seems to be broad support for putting the rail issue on the ballot and a move to consider other forms of mass transit like magnetic levitation trains.

"Ask the people a straight question: 'Do you want a fixed guideway or rail system or not?'" Djou said.

Council members take all the issues back to committee and hope to put everything to a final vote on Aug. 20.