Sound Transit leaders traveled to Olympia on Wednesday to discuss with the House Transportation Committee the additional local funding authority needed for voters to consider a future Sound Transit 3 ballot measure.
State Rep. Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, a former Sound Transit board member, is prime sponsor of the legislation (House Bill 1180) that would give Sound Transit a mix of funding tools.
The proposed funding mechanisms include:
• An additional sales tax up to 0.5 percent (50 cents on a $100 purchase)
• An additional motor vehicle excise tax of up to 0.8 percent ($80 annually on a $10,000 vehicle)
• A property tax up to 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation ($75 annually for a $300,000 house)
If that authority is granted, the exact amount requested from voters will be determined later as the public helps shape a ballot measure for consideration in November 2016 or later.
Dow Constantine, King County Executive and Sound Transit board chair, gave the Transportation Committee an overview of the agency and its progress in delivering projects.
He was then joined in support of HB 1180 by Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland and Everett Councilmember Paul Roberts, who are both Sound Transit Board vice chairs. Other board members who testified included Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, Snohomish County Executive John Lovick and Seattle Councilmember Mike O’Brien.
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