City
Patterson: "Ready to Support" $20 Metro Fee
In a statement this afternoon, King County Council member Julia Patterson announced she'll support a proposal by county executive Dow Constantine to pass a temporary $20 vehicle license to help preserve Metro bus service. Previously, Patterson told PubliCola she was "not committed to a 'yes'" on the fee. Patterson was one of five council members, including the council's four Republicans, who did not show up
for a packed public hearing about potential Metro cuts, where the overflow audience---more than 700 people showed up in a line that snaked around the block outside the county courthouse---was overwhelmingly against the cuts.
Patterson was initially on the fence about the two-year fee because she said it wouldn't do enough for the "poor, working-class" residents of her South King County district. Today, though, she changed her tune.
"After finding out today that the proposed Congestion Relief Charge would save the 26,000 service hours scheduled to be cut in Council District 5 as part of the 17 percent reduction of transit service, I am ready to support Executive Constantine’s proposal," Patterson said.
“This was not an easy decision for me because families are already struggling in this economic recession. Before I gave my support of a fee increase, I needed to make absolutely sure that this proposal did not disproportionately burden the working poor in my district.
“South County residents commute further than anywhere else in King County. They rely heavily on bus service everyday to get them to work and back home to their families.
“Without this critical transportation lifeline we will be forcing more people to get in their cars and they will spend hundreds of dollars a year on gas and vehicle maintenance – a much greater financial impact than a $20 fee.”
The county council's transportation committee will hold its last hearing on the proposed fee Thursday night at 6:00 in Burien City Hall, 400 SW 152nd St. Under state law, the council needs at least six votes to pass the fee, which means that at least one of the council's four Republicans will have to support it; so far, none have said they plan to do so.
Patterson was initially on the fence about the two-year fee because she said it wouldn't do enough for the "poor, working-class" residents of her South King County district. Today, though, she changed her tune.
"After finding out today that the proposed Congestion Relief Charge would save the 26,000 service hours scheduled to be cut in Council District 5 as part of the 17 percent reduction of transit service, I am ready to support Executive Constantine’s proposal," Patterson said.
“This was not an easy decision for me because families are already struggling in this economic recession. Before I gave my support of a fee increase, I needed to make absolutely sure that this proposal did not disproportionately burden the working poor in my district.
“South County residents commute further than anywhere else in King County. They rely heavily on bus service everyday to get them to work and back home to their families.
“Without this critical transportation lifeline we will be forcing more people to get in their cars and they will spend hundreds of dollars a year on gas and vehicle maintenance – a much greater financial impact than a $20 fee.”
The county council's transportation committee will hold its last hearing on the proposed fee Thursday night at 6:00 in Burien City Hall, 400 SW 152nd St. Under state law, the council needs at least six votes to pass the fee, which means that at least one of the council's four Republicans will have to support it; so far, none have said they plan to do so.
