The Washington Policy Center (WPC) looked into Sound Transit’s new $15 billion plan (ST3) and discovered some interesting facts. Particularly, the additional cost burden ST3 places on Puget Sound households.
Due to Sound Transit’s last two spending packages (ST1 and ST2), working families have faced an increase in taxes over the past two decades. WPC estimates that the “average King County household in Sound Transit’s special taxing district (about 80 percent of King County residents) pays over $1,100 every year in local taxes just for mass transit, not including the state or federal taxes they pay.”
Local taxes paid to Sound Transit amounted to about $550 per household in 2013 alone. By 2018, the financial burden for Sound Transit rail and buses is expected to rise to $643 in yearly taxes under the current tax rate.
However, according to WPC, if Sound Transit is able to pass ST3 and boost sales and MVET taxes, “the average household’s tax burden would balloon to $1,185 in 2018, a $542 increase just for Sound Transit rail and buses.” But, that’s not all. The transit agency “could increase the property tax burden on residents and add another $100 to a typical household’s tax bill, based on a $400,000 property valuation.”
The WPC points out that since 1990 the “average household in Sound Transit’s tax district has paid over $6,100 in local taxes to Sound Transit alone, spent predominantly on rail.” By the time Sound Transit even complete its first phase of rail in 2016, “the average household will have paid about $7,300 in taxes to Sound Transit.”
Sound Transit is asking for its third package, without completing promises it made to voters in its first package. Taxpayers have already paid thousands of their hard-earned dollars to the transit agency without the return they were promised. WPC,
Sound Transit board members say they are now planning to complete most of their original 1996 Sound Move 10-year light rail plan by 2016, and continue to Northgate by 2021. Originally, they promised they would complete the first phase by 2006 and that light rail would carry 105,000 riders per day in 2010. Today the system carries only 33,445 riders per weekday, less than a third of what was originally promised. Taxpayers are also paying much more than what they originally agreed to.
In 1996, Sound Transit promised to build 21 miles of light rail (from South 200th Street to N.E. 45th Street) and spend $2.3 billion in year of expenditure dollars. Even after canceling some planned light rail stations in Seattle and delaying other promises to future ballot measures, the Sound Transit board is spending $5.3 billion for the original line, more than double the original price they had presented to taxpayers.
Based on the rising tax burden, the broken promises and the fact that rail ridership is expected to “account for about one percent of all daily trips in the region by 2040,” the WPC recommends that “state lawmakers should call a timeout on Sound Transit board members’ request to impose new taxes.” Rewarding an agency completes a project (ST1) 10 years late at double the cost with another project is hardly responsible government.
With $1,100 I can insure all three of our family vehicles for a year, tabs, and one oil change each.
WELL, PEOPLE WILL VOTE FOR ANYTHING IF THEY THINK THEY ARE NOT PAYING FOR IT……I THINK THIS PROVES THAT IS A LOAD OF BUNK !! WIZE UP TAXPAYER, METRO HAS NO ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE BIGGEST HAND OUT I HAVE SEEN…GIVE THEM NO MORE !!!
Another liberal progressive democratic failure costing Washington State citizens millions annually. Stop the Dear Leader Inslee and his wing-nut followers. Paint this state Red! Vote Republican at every turn to stop the madness.