Voters asked to keep this tax for Bellingham transportation projects
Bellingham voters will be asked to renew a sales tax for citywide transportation projects, as the City Council unanimously agreed to place the measure on the November ballot.
Residents have been paying two-tenths of 1% sales tax for transportation since 2010, when 58% of voters approved a measure that formed a special taxing district to fund projects such as street paving, sidewalks and bike lanes, and Sunday service for the Whatcom Transportation Authority bus agency.
In 2015, the taxing district was absorbed into the city and the tax that’s now up for renewal is being called the Transportation Fund.
It amounts to 20 cents for every $100 purchase made in Bellingham, and it brings in some $5 million every year, according to a presentation Monday, July 6.
“It keeps our economy moving, it creates jobs,” said Councilman Michael Lilliquist.
“There’s far too much riding on this,” Lilliquist said during the meeting. “The timing may seem bad, but I think the timing is perfect.”
A new interactive page at the city’s website explains how the tax works and the kinds of projects that the tax will pay for.
Funds collected for the next decade would be spent on a formula of about 40% for paving and street maintenance, 40% for “non-motorized” projects focused on sidewalks, crossings and bike lanes, and 20% for Climate Action Plan programs and projects related to bus service.
Transportation planner Chris Comeau described some of the projects that the transit tax has paid for over the past decade, including street paving, 8 miles of sidewalks and 52 miles of bikeways.
Comeau told the council that the fund provides stable cash flow, especially as state and federal revenue sources are expected to decline amid economic uncertainty caused by the new coronavirus pandemic.
“The Transportation Fund is absolutely critical for us to make the same progress as we have in the past,” Comeau said. “We’ve been extremely successful at getting grant funding, but that picture may change.”
Many transportation projects funded by the tax — such as crosswalk or sidewalks — help people of all abilities use mass transit, said Peter Stark, WTA general manager.
“If you can’t walk safely to the bus, you really can’t take the bus,” Stark said.
This story was originally published July 7, 2020 at 8:25 AM.
