Update on the Governor's Transit funding Veto

I posted yesterday the unfortunate news that the Governor decided to veto the 20$ car tab local funding portion of ESSB 5433.

Here is some updated information.

Make sure you check out the Seattle P-I article on the topic. They added a response from the Governor's office stating that she vetoed it because there already is a car tab transit funding option in the Transportation Public Benefit District legislation that passed in 2005. While this is true, it is nearly impossible to use this mechanism, especially county wide in large urbanized areas, because you have to get 60% of the cities in the district with 75% of the population to agree to the tax. Also this money can go to roads and transit so there is always that fun battle. To date no TPBDs that I know have been enacted to pay for transit. Seattle Transit Blog has a good post her on this taxing mechanism here. 5433 would have allowed local voters to decide directly on a 20$ per year car tab for transit.

Today the the Governor's veto letter on 5433 has been posted on her website here (pdf). This letter also cites the existing TPBD as a reason for the veto.

If you would like to send the Governor an e-mail on her veto click here!

Governor Vetoes Transit Funding

One of the few tools that passed the legislature to help financially struggling transit agencies was vetoed this morning by the Governor. The Section vetoed by Governor Gregoire in SB 5433 would have given transit agencies the option to ask local voters to approve a congestion relief tax. The tax, which required voter approval, was a 20$ flat rate on vehicle license tabs.

The Seattle Transit Blog and the Stranger broke the news this morning.

The Governor simply missed an opportunity here. Transit ridership continues to grow while agencies are facing shortfalls and service cuts. We shouldn’t be cutting service at a time when ridership is at its all time high. If our state is going to get serious about climate change goals, we need to give people more transportation choices, especially during these tough economic times.

The Legislature delivered on one small tool to solve the transit funding puzzle and for reasons yet to be officially explained the Governor decided strike this local option with her veto pen. With this veto it is clear we can no longer ask the legislature and the Governor for sustainable transit funding; we must demand it.

Update:
The P-I picked up on the story here.