MUKILTEO – Mukilteo residents may be asked to approve a property tax increase to help pay for $30 million of parks and roads projects.
The city is considering a ballot measure for the August primary election for money to acquire park land, relieve traffic congestion, build bicycle and pedestrian paths and beautify the Rosehill Community Center grounds.
The proposed property tax increase would cost residents who own $350,000 homes about an extra $300 each year. The council has until May 22 to put the measure on the ballot.
Projects that would be funded by the measure would benefit residents all over the city, councilman Marko Liias said.
“If we don’t make these investments now, just following current inflation trends, this $30 million in projects will cost about $60 million in five years,” Liias said.
Today, council members plan to discuss the ballot measure at their 6 p.m. meeting at City Hall. The council meets again on May 21, the day before the deadline for the August election.
The city is aiming for the August election because voters in Snohomish, King and Pierce counties are already set to decide on the state’s largest-ever road and transit tax measure – nearly $20 billion – in the November election.
If voters approve the ballot measure, the city plans to sell $30 million worth of bonds to fund the projects, then repay the debt service on the bonds using the extra property tax money.
The city would also generate an additional $9 million for parks and roads projects by selling bonds against real estate excise tax revenues – taxes paid on home and property sales.
“The project list I think is great, and they would all be great benefits for our citizens,” City Council President Jennifer Gregerson said. “None of them will happen in the next 10 years without identifying some sort of funding.”
The preliminary project list was crafted by the City Council with suggestions from the Planning and Parks &Recreation commissions. Little-to-no feedback was given at a public hearing held May 7.
The list includes about $8 million for first-phase construction of the Harbour Reach road extension, which would connect Harbour Pointe Boulevard with Beverly Park Road.
The early list also includes $8 million to $10 million for acquiring land for parks around the city, $14 million for bicycle and pedestrian paths and turn lanes, $4 million for traffic relief projects and $2 million to $4 million for improving the Rosehill grounds.
Projects and dollar amounts on the list may be fine-tuned at today’s meeting, Gregerson said.
Council members considered including funds in the measure for rebuilding or renovating Rosehill Community Center, and for renovating Lighthouse Park.
Funding for Rosehill was removed from the measure because council members have yet to decide whether to renovate or rebuild the old building. The council also removed funding for Lighthouse Park because the city is pursuing other sources of revenue.
Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.
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