MONROE — Residents are invited to share their thoughts about creating a traffic benefit district to help fund street maintenance and projects at a meeting next month.
The April 10 hearing could also help the City Council decide which projects to fund and how. The council is scheduled to vote April 24.
At Tuesday’s meeting the council stated all proposed revenue sources must first be approved by voters. Also, any revenue would go to fund different projects, including street maintenance, installing traffic signs and extending existing roads.
“It’s important to have additional funding for roads,” said Brad Feilberg, public works director.
Currently, the city has about $150,000 for annual street maintenance, which is not enough to cover overlays and fix cracks on the city’s roads.
Creating a transportation benefit district is estimated to collect about $1 million, Feilberg said.
How that revenue would be generated is still to be decided.
The district board, which would be made up of the City Council, can propose to increase sales and use taxes by 0.2 percent, increase excess property taxes for one year, or raise the car tab license fees.
All revenue options, with the exception of increasing the car tab fee by $20, require voter approval.
This topic has been discussed by the council since January 2008, but it has not passed because a majority of the council opposed raising taxes, Feilberg said.
If approved, Monroe will join other cities such as Snohomish, Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace that have created taxing districts.
Last November, Snohomish voters approved a 0.2 percent sales tax increase to be used for two transportation projects. The design work on these projects is scheduled to start late this year. Mountlake Terrace City Council, meanwhile, approved raising car vehicle tab fees $20 in December,
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
Hearing
A public hearing to establish a transportation benefit district has been set for 7 p.m., April 10, at City Hall, 806 W. Main St.
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