City
Constantine Proposes $20 License Fee for Transit
King County Executive Dow Constantine proposed legislation today that would enable the King County Council to pass a temporary $20 vehicle license fee to help address an annual $60 million revenue shortfall. The fee would provide about $50 million over two years, staving off cuts of about 17 percent that would otherwise begin next February. (Full list and map of proposed cuts here.)
However, bus riders shouldn't get too excited. The fee would require a supermajority vote of the county council---six of nine members. The council's four Republicans have all said they won't support passing the fee without a public vote. Additionally, two Democrats on the council have expressed hesitation over simply passing the fee: Both Julia Patterson and Bob Ferguson, who's running for state attorney general, have said they don't know if simply passing a fee is appropriate.
Meanwhile, Ferguson may not be a "yes" vote for a public vote---which requires the support of a simple majority of the council, five members---either, potentially leaving the fee without enough support to pass the council or make it onto the ballot.
And, in the long run, it may not matter much anyway: Without a stable funding source, Metro will still have to cut thousands of hours of service after the two-year tax runs out.
However, bus riders shouldn't get too excited. The fee would require a supermajority vote of the county council---six of nine members. The council's four Republicans have all said they won't support passing the fee without a public vote. Additionally, two Democrats on the council have expressed hesitation over simply passing the fee: Both Julia Patterson and Bob Ferguson, who's running for state attorney general, have said they don't know if simply passing a fee is appropriate.
Meanwhile, Ferguson may not be a "yes" vote for a public vote---which requires the support of a simple majority of the council, five members---either, potentially leaving the fee without enough support to pass the council or make it onto the ballot.
And, in the long run, it may not matter much anyway: Without a stable funding source, Metro will still have to cut thousands of hours of service after the two-year tax runs out.
