Jolt
Afternoon Jolt: No-Show Republicans Coming to Next Metro Meeting
No winner or loser today, just a Jolt. In a good way.
Apparently, the King County Council members who skipped out on last week's packed meeting on the potential Metro budget cuts (600,000 hours, or 17 percent of Metro service, could be vaporized if the county doesn't pass a temporary $20 vehicle license fee) got the message: This is important business to their constituents and this time most of them are planning to be at this week's public meeting. (The council can pass the fee with a six-vote supermajority, or put it on the November ballot with five votes). Metro announced today that ridership is up 5.8 percent over last June.
Of more than 700 people who turned out at last week's hearing at the downtown Seattle King County Courthouse, and 500 who provided written or verbal testimony, the overwhelming majority opposed the cuts. Unfortunately, just four council members---all Democrats who had previously committed to voting in favor of passing the fee without a public vote---showed up to hear their testimony.
Tomorrow night in Burien, the public will get another chance to weigh in on the potential cuts, and this time, seven council members will reportedly be in attendance.
PubliCola contacted all nine council members, and only two---Republicans Kathy Lambert and Reagan Dunn---have not responded. However, council sources say that both Dunn and Lambert have said they do not plan to attend. The council members who did not attend last week's meeting, but will attend tomorrow's, are Democrat Julia Patterson (who announced last night that she will now support passing the fee) and Republicans Jane Hague and Pete von Reichbauer.
PUNDITRY.
Tomorrow's meeting is at 6:00 pm at Burien City Hall, 400 SW 152nd St.
Apparently, the King County Council members who skipped out on last week's packed meeting on the potential Metro budget cuts (600,000 hours, or 17 percent of Metro service, could be vaporized if the county doesn't pass a temporary $20 vehicle license fee) got the message: This is important business to their constituents and this time most of them are planning to be at this week's public meeting. (The council can pass the fee with a six-vote supermajority, or put it on the November ballot with five votes). Metro announced today that ridership is up 5.8 percent over last June.
Of more than 700 people who turned out at last week's hearing at the downtown Seattle King County Courthouse, and 500 who provided written or verbal testimony, the overwhelming majority opposed the cuts. Unfortunately, just four council members---all Democrats who had previously committed to voting in favor of passing the fee without a public vote---showed up to hear their testimony.
Tomorrow night in Burien, the public will get another chance to weigh in on the potential cuts, and this time, seven council members will reportedly be in attendance.
PubliCola contacted all nine council members, and only two---Republicans Kathy Lambert and Reagan Dunn---have not responded. However, council sources say that both Dunn and Lambert have said they do not plan to attend. The council members who did not attend last week's meeting, but will attend tomorrow's, are Democrat Julia Patterson (who announced last night that she will now support passing the fee) and Republicans Jane Hague and Pete von Reichbauer.
PUNDITRY.
Tomorrow's meeting is at 6:00 pm at Burien City Hall, 400 SW 152nd St.
