Taxes for transportation proposed


June 13, 2008 · Updated 11:43 AM 

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Mirror staff

King County voters may be asked in November if they want higher taxes to pay for transportation improvements.

County Council members have proposed an advisory ballot measure suggesting increases of 2.8 cents on the gasoline tax and a tenth of 1 percent on the sales tax. The gas tax increase, which would be charged per gallon of fuel, would pay for county roads, and the sales tax boost would go to Metro Transit.

State funding of transportation projects isn’t keeping pace with the need for improvements here, council members said.

Partly driving the new tax proposal is a decision by the Regional Transportation Improvement District (RTID) to drop a plan for funding projects in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.

Councilman Rob McKenna, also a member of the RTID board, said voters should be able “to send their government a clear message” on how to tackle transportation issues.

If approved by the council, the ballot measure would be part of the Nov. 2 general election.

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