City
King County Council Defers Metro Decision Until August 15
In an anticlimactic conclusion to a four-hour-long public hearing tonight, the King County Council opted to defer any decision on whether to pass a $20 fee to offset a potential 17 percent cut to Metro service for two weeks in the hope of reaching some resolution between the council's five Democrats---all of whom support passing the fee without a public vote---and its four Republicans.
The council needs six votes to pass the measure without putting it on the ballot. Additionally, they will need six votes to put it on the ballot on August 15; today was the last meeting at which they could put the fee on the ballot with a simple majority of five votes. Council member Bob Ferguson said after today's meeting that at least six members have said they will vote to put the proposal, in what he called "the worst-case scenario," on the ballot. "I'm open to compromise," Ferguson said.
Those include Republican Reagan Dunn, who said after today's meeting that while he would not support passing the measure without a public vote, he would be willing to put it on the ballot if Metro could ensure it was preserving the best-performing bus routes first.
"If I were to support this mesure in some form it would be to put it on the ballot," Dunn said. "There is opportunity for additional efficiencies in the system."
Republican Pete von Reichbauer, considered (along with fellow Republican Jane Hague) a potential swing vote on the proposal, said after the meeting, "I don't know if anything will change my mind," but added that he would probably support a public vote if the council didn't reach a consensus in favor of passing it.
About 50 people testified at this afternoon's meeting, all but two of those in favor of passing the two-year, $20 fee.
The council needs six votes to pass the measure without putting it on the ballot. Additionally, they will need six votes to put it on the ballot on August 15; today was the last meeting at which they could put the fee on the ballot with a simple majority of five votes. Council member Bob Ferguson said after today's meeting that at least six members have said they will vote to put the proposal, in what he called "the worst-case scenario," on the ballot. "I'm open to compromise," Ferguson said.
Those include Republican Reagan Dunn, who said after today's meeting that while he would not support passing the measure without a public vote, he would be willing to put it on the ballot if Metro could ensure it was preserving the best-performing bus routes first.
"If I were to support this mesure in some form it would be to put it on the ballot," Dunn said. "There is opportunity for additional efficiencies in the system."
Republican Pete von Reichbauer, considered (along with fellow Republican Jane Hague) a potential swing vote on the proposal, said after the meeting, "I don't know if anything will change my mind," but added that he would probably support a public vote if the council didn't reach a consensus in favor of passing it.
About 50 people testified at this afternoon's meeting, all but two of those in favor of passing the two-year, $20 fee.
