Municipal League recommends 'Yes' vote on April 22 Metro transit and roads ballot measure
Saturday, March 15, 2014
The King County Municipal League has recommended a “yes: vote on Proposition 1, the roads and transit measure on the April 22 ballot.
“We believe that our growing region needs to make investments in its transportation infrastructure, both transit and roads,” Municipal League Foundation Chairman Chuck Sloane said in a recent press release. “We must ensure that the economy can thrive, people can move about, our urban areas can support the density that our comprehensive plans envision, and our environment can be protected.
“Our recommendation to voters is made with some reluctance. We have repeatedly urged Metro to do more to control its operating costs and to address its long-term structural issues of unsustainable cost growth and inadequate revenues to meet expenses. However, we acknowledge that the agency has taken many actions to meet the challenges of the great recession and a volatile funding source.
“We encourage Metro to continue to work on issues of efficiency and cost control and to use peer benchmarking to do so. The Municipal League intends to continue to monitor Metro’s progress on these issues.”
The Municipal League refers to itself as a volunteer-driven nonpartisan, nonprofit organization.
The proposal would increase the sales tax throughout the County by 0.1 cents per dollar, and establish a $60 vehicle-license fee, with the two to generate about $130 million per year for Metro Transit, city streets and rural roads, with 60 percent of the revenue going to Transit and 40 percent for streets and roads
People with incomes less than 45 percent of the median countywide household income would get a $20 rebate on the vehicle-license fee.
The proposal is the only item on local ballots in April.
Anyone can register to vote in the April election or file a change of address through March 24, either by mail, on line, or in person at the County elections office in Renton or the elections annex in downtown Seattle.
New Washington voters can register through April 14, but they must register in person at either the County elections office in Renton or the elections annex in downtown Seattle.
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3 comments:
The City of Shoreline has a Transportation Benefit District that charges $20 per car, that means the King County charge if approved would result in $80 per car regardless of value or if you ride the bus.
That sounds pretty darn regressive.
King County Proposition 1 would
-- add an annual $60 car tab tax with no expiration date
-- increase sales tax to 9.6%, a .1% ten year tax hike.
-- increase bus fares by $0.25, resulting in
$2.75 one-zone
$3.25 two-zone.
-- mostly bail out King County Metro, rather than maintain roads.
Metro fooled voters in 2000, and again in 2006.
In 2000, voters approved a .2% sales tax hike in exchange for 575,000 added bus hours within 6 years. Metro delivered only 207,257 hours.
In 2006, voters approved a .1% sales tax increase in exchange for 700,000 added bus hours within 10 years. As of last year, they have added only 300,000 hours.
Metro fooled the King County Council in 2010, and again in 2011.
In 2010, the County Council passed a measure that re-directed a portion of property tax revenue from other public projects to Metro. Last year alone, that amounted to an additional $22.9 million, yet Metro began to once again threaten the Council and voters with cuts to services if they did not receive more money.
In 2011, the County Council passed an additional $20 annual car tax after Metro threatened to cut bus services by 17%. The County Council gave up the Free Ride Zone in downtown Seattle, yet Metro still cut bus services anyway.
Metro continues to fail voters. Rather than increase bus service, they threaten voters with service cuts at regular intervals.
King County residents face 40% higher actual ridership costs than the national average.
60% of Metro’s annual budget comes from taxes, not fares.
Transit serves just 3.6% of daily commuters, yet receives nearly 60% of total transportation revenue, at the expense of much needed congestion relief and road repairs.
Metro’s problem isn't insufficient revenue; it's irresponsible spending.
Recently, the Sound Transit Citizen Oversight Panel found that Metro’s operating costs are well above the system average.
Metro forecasts a record $458 million in sales tax revenue in 2014, and another $200 million over the next eight years, yet they continue to threaten taxpayers with cuts to services if they do not receive even more money.
The Eastside Transportation Association projects that—if all of Metro’s monetary demands are met—Metro will double their current revenue of $450 million to $900 million in the next eight years. They don't need it. They are out of control.
Time and time again Metro has broken voter promises with no consequences. Metro must initiate substantial reforms, that work toward fiscal responsibility, before they can be trusted with more tax payer dollars.
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