Cities consider countywide roads proposal
Published 3:46 pm Friday, February 15, 2008
Edmonds’ traffic-choked roads and bumpy streets could get a much needed cash infusion with a new tax plan being considered in Snohomish County.
In Edmonds, the city could raise nearly $1 million annually without voter approval. The money can be spent on congestion relief and street maintenance within city limits.
An annual $20 vehicle license fee levied on the city’s 47,000 vehicles could help pay for improvements on local streets, said Stephan Clifton, the city’s community services and economic development director.
Streets in central Edmonds like 84th Avenue West, 76th Avenue West and 212th Street Southwest are prime candidates for improvement, he said Feb. 1.
While transportation dollars in the Puget Sound region have been drying up for years – as voters remove revenue sources and funding measures repeatedly fail at the ballot – officials in Edmonds and throughout the county are putting hope in “transportation benefit districts.”
Nearly forgotten as a type of financing package, TBDs were modified recently by the state legislature to give local governments more innovative funding packages for roads projects.
Now, nearly $1 billion could be raised countywide with voter approval. Smaller packages don’t require officials to consult voters.
Between now and May 22, cities in Snohomish County are exploring grouping together for a countywide TBD, officials said.
There is strength in numbers, they believe.
If the county and 12 of its 20 cities sign on to a TBD, then every taxpayer in the county could be forced to pay the $20 vehicle license fee. Only the county and whichever cities signed on to the TBD could control the resulting revenue.
Edmonds has joined 10 other cities in expressing support for a possible TBD.
“The need for transportation funding for local governments is immense, and (we) support an effort to thoroughly evaluate potential revenue options and examine the types of eligible transportation projects,” Edmonds Mayor Gary Haakenson wrote in a letter to the county.
The county needs at least one more city to express interest, and Bothell and Snohomish look likely to do so soon, county public works director Steve Thomsen said Feb. 11.
Thomsen will brief the County Council on the TBD plans Feb. 19, and a countywide coordinating meeting is scheduled for March 12.
Edmonds officials believe it is important to sign on to the agreement in order to help control the revenue, they said.
But, neither Edmonds nor county officials believe that signing on is essential for every city, they said. If the TBD is funded by the whole county, then projects will be fairly distributed throughout the county, officials said.
“There is no intention to rule them out, or cut them out, of the projects,” Thomsen said. “It is not our goal to create hard feelings out there.”
Most cities who have expressed interest have indicated they would like their portion of TBD dollars to go towards maintenance projects, he said.
A TBD has many revenue options. In addition to the $20 vehicle license fee, the cities could ask for voter approval to increase property taxes, increase sales and use taxes, or increase the vehicle license fee by up to $100, according to documents from the Association of Washington Cites.
It would be difficult to agree upon the more complex plans by May 22, however.
“This needs to happen quickly if (a TBD) is going to form,” Edmonds’ Clifton said. “We believe it is important to start out slowly and not look at all the revenue models that are available.”
There is a lot of interest in south Snohomish County, officials agreed.
Lynnwood has signed on, as has Mountlake Terrace.
Council members from cities across the south county region have expressed interest to Edmonds Councilwoman Peggy Pritchard Olson, she said.
It’s important that Edmonds signed on, too, she said Feb. 1.
“If we don’t get involved in this, we could easily find ourselves without a voice at the table,” Olson said.
Reporter Chris Fyall: 425-673-6525 or cfyall@heraldnet.com
