Correction/clarification: Mayor Mike McGinn’s office disputes that the city broadened the scope of the proposed transit master plan, and says the mayor has always supported including as many modes of transit as possible in the transit master plan. That’s true. The dispute over the transit master plan, as we reported last month, has centered on the question of whether the plan should include city-funded light rail. Some city council members, including Tom Rasmussen, have argued that light rail should be funded regionally, not at the city level.
1. The fight over the tunnel isn’t likely to be resolved at today’s city council meeting. (In fact, it’s likely to escalate as the council refuses to go with the mayor’s demand to squarely address the cost overruns issue). However, Fizz hears that the two sides have reached detente in another standoff—the fight over money for the transit master plan, $600,000 that the council was refusing to sign off on.
The mayor and the council had disagreed over the scope of the plan. The mayor’s office wanted the $600,000 to study light rail from Ballard to West Seattle and the council threatened to withhold the money unless SDOT did a broader citywide study looking at buses, bus rapid transit, street grid fixes, and light rail too.
In order to free up the money, the mayor has agreed to broaden the scope and the cautious council has reportedly agreed to an initial $300,000.
2. Fizz hears that Republican King County Council member Reagan Dunn plans to propose lifting the current county cap on property tax rates to pay for a new juvenile justice facility; the current facility, at 12th and Alder, is in poor repair and needs to be replaced. Earlier this month, the county council’s budget committee voted not to move forward with a proposal to raise the sales tax 0.1 percent to pay to replace the juvenile justice facility.
Why would a Republican propose a property tax increase—particularly a Republican who actually proposed reducing some property taxes earlier this month?
One theory (Dunn wasn’t able to get back to us on Friday afternoon, when we called his cell phone) is that proposing a property tax that can’t possibly pass gives Republicans a chance to vote in favor of public safety, and to force Democrats to vote against it. Politically, that could benefit the council’s four Republicans, who voted against a Democrat-backed proposal to put a 0.2-percent sales tax increase for public safety (the sheriff’s department and prosecutor’s office). That proposal passed with five Democrats voting yes, and all four Republicans voting no.
3. Earlier this month, we reported that Pike Place Market was considering extending its hours—closing at 7 instead of 5:30 PM.The Market is now open until 8 PM.
4. Friends of Seattle has a damn powerful video up at its web site slamming the city and the state over the tunnel agreement. It’s not about cost overruns, though.
It’s about the missing $200 million that were supposed to be in place for transit. Dan Bertolet wrote about the missing money here.
FOS says:
In January 2009, downtown elites and members of the Seattle City Council drank champagne to celebrate the agreement to build a deep bore tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
In this agreement between the City of Seattle, King County, and the State, the State said it would work to get the County the authority it needed for an motor vehicle excise tax (MVET) to raise over $200 million for transit. Two years later, the State has not kept this promise.
We need transit to make the Viaduct replacement work for everyone, not just people who can afford champagne.
