Does traffic impact your business? Of course it does! It impacts all of us. The question is, will a Transportation Benefit District tax or fee be the solution? We need to hear from you before the public hearing on January 16th as to what type of taxation you would support. (See the three bullet points below.)
A transportation bond failed two years ago leaving many city roads projects on the drawing board. A Transportation District can raise the funds the bond would have provided. And the transportation district does not necessarily require a vote of the people.
The information below is being provided by the city. Please email your comments before January 11th to: kmccorry@issaquahchamber.com. The chamber will be weighing in on behalf of the business community in Issaquah.
"Issaquah City Council will hold a public hearing at its regular meeting of Jan. 16, 2018 to take public testimony regarding establishment of a Transportation Benefit District pursuant to RCW 35.21.225 and Chapter 36.73 RCW. A Transportation Benefit District (District) is a quasi-municipal corporation, an independent taxing authority, and a taxing district that can raise revenue for specific transportation improvement projects, typically through vehicle license fees or sales taxes.
The City is proposing creation of a District that is coterminous with the corporate limits of the City as the boundaries currently exist or as they may exist following future annexations. The members of the Issaquah City Council would constitute the governing body of the District. The functions to be provided by the District include without limitation:
The District Board may authorize a vehicle tax fee of up to $20 per vehicle as provided for by RCW 82.80.140. Any expansion of the authorized purposes of the District shall be undertaken only after notice, hearing, and adoption of an ordinance in accordance with RCW 36.73.050(2)(b) or a vote of the people pursuant to RCW 36.73.065(3).
When authorized by the voters pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 36.73 RCW, other taxes, fees, charges and tolls, or increases in these revenue services may be assessed for the preservation, maintenance, and operations of City streets. Additional transportation improvements may be added to the functions of the District upon compliance with the requirements of said chapter.
The District Board shall have and exercise all powers and functions provided by Chapter 36.73 RCW to fulfill the functions of the District.
Although the proposed ordinance would authorize the District Board to implement revenue services, no fees, tolls or taxes are proposed to be implemented at this time.
Funds generated by the district would be used to finance transportation improvement projects identified in the Transportation Section of the City’s adopted 2018-2022 Capital Improvement Plan, which is available online at issaquahwa.gov/2018CIP."