Title: An act relating to selection of board members of a regional transit authority.

Brief Summary of Bill

• Changes the Sound Transit Board to nine members with members appointed by county executives, mayors of large cities, and the Governor.

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 17 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; Rockefeller, Vice Chair; Simpson, Vice Chair; Ericksen, Ranking Minority Member; Clibborn, Cooper, Dickerson, Flannigan, Hankins, Hatfield, Hudgins, Lovick, Morris, Romero, Sullivan, Wallace and Wood.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Jarrett, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, Armstrong, Bailey, Campbell, Kristiansen, Mielke, Nixon, Schindler, Shabro and Woods.

The King, Pierce, and Snohomish County Councils voted in 1993 to establish the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (now known as Sound Transit). Sound Transit is vested with high capacity transportation system development in the three county area, including the imposition of voter-approved taxes for development and operation of such transportation systems.

In 1996 voters in the urban areas of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties approved a plan and authorized funding to provide high capacity transportation services for the Central Puget Sound Region.

The current Sound Transit Board (Board) is composed of 18 members who are city and county elected officials, with the exception of the Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation. Appointments are made by the county executive of each member county confirmed by each county legislation authority and are proportioned among counties based on population.

Effective January 1, 2005, the Board will be composed of nine members. The members are to be appointed as follows: one each by the county executive of each member county confirmed by the county council; one each by the mayors of the largest city in each of those counties and the mayor of any other city with a population of over 100,000 persons confirmed by each city’s legislative authority; and two by the Governor. As additional cities reach a population of 100,000 the Board will grow. The Governor shall take into account the population and geographical representation on the Board in making appointments. The Secretary of the Department of Transportation is made a non-voting member of the Board.

Testimony For: These changes will make the Board smaller and more accountable to the public.

Testimony Against: Sound Transit has reformed itself over the past two years and is now working well. Don't make changes that are not needed and add uncertainty to the agency's policies.

Testified: (In support) Representative Murray, prime sponsor; and Martin J. Durkan Jr., M.J. Durkan Incorporation.