Herald staff
Snohomish County voters were supporting a sales tax increase for Community Transit Tuesday night, but voters in east county weren’t as supportive of a tax increase for parks.
Voters also supported changes for the Edmonds Port District, but weren’t voting in favor of most of the fire district measures.
CT’s Proposition 1 asking voters in most of Snohomish County for a 0.3 cents per dollar sales tax increase was passing.
The increase would pay an estimated $17.5 million to $18 million into CT in 2002. CT operates on a $53 million annual budget and runs 19 local routes and 33 commuter routes.
"I’m feeling fairly confident," CT executive director Joyce Olson said. "I’m so glad that people in Snohomish County are recognizing the value of their public transit."
The bulk of the money raised through the additional tax would go to operations. Transit officials said they could increase their service up to 15 percent during the next six years by adding vanpools and park-and-ride lots and bringing back Sunday service early next year, Olson said.
Officials had said if voters turn down the measure, CT would have to make further cuts in service. The tax increase also gives much of Snohomish County the highest sales tax rate in the state, at 8.9 cents per dollar.
After two failed attempts last year, a property tax levy to support the East Snohomish County Parks and Recreation District appeared to be failing.
While the measure had a majority of yes votes, it didn’t have enough total votes Tuesday to validate the election.
The district’s Proposition 1 is a 10-cent-per-$1,000 of assessed valuation property tax levy to maintain and operate Maltby Park and other programs that the district has. That would amount to about $20 in new property taxes to the average homeowner in the district. Park district boundaries are the same as the Monroe School District.
The district’s only park was closed in August because there was no more money to maintain it. Earlier this year, the district laid off its director because of a lack of funds. The district relies on property taxes to fund its programs, along with class and event fees and rental fees for its ball fields, which have not been maintained since the park closed.
If the early vote returns predict the final outcome for the tax measure, the board of directors for the district will now have to determine whether to put the matter to voters again or disband the district.
In Edmonds, Port District Propositions 1, 2 and 3 were passing Tuesday night.
Proposition 1 increases the number of port commissioners from three to five. Port commissioners reasoned that adding two commissioners would ensure better citizen representation.
Proposition 2 decreases the term of office for port commissioners from six years to four years.
Proposition 3 allows the two additional port commissioners to be elected at-large — from the entire port district. Three commissioners will continue to be elected from specified geographic areas.
Meanwhile, two of the four fire district measures were failing in early returns.
Fire District 14 in the Stanwood area was behind, and Fire District 26 in the Gold Bar area was losing by a wide margin.
Fire District 28 in the Index area was actually way in front but needs more votes to be validated, and its second measure was winning by a shallow margin.
All the measures were asking for money to improve services.
Herald writers Kate Reardon, Leslie Moriarty and Janice Podsada contributed to this report.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
