FINAL BILL REPORT

ESSB 6464

PARTIAL VETO

C 248 L 02

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Authorizing the creation of a city transportation authority.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Jacobsen, Horn and Kohl‑Welles).

Senate Committee on Transportation

House Committee on Transportation

Background:  The original monorail runs for a mile between the Seattle Center and downtown Seattle.  In 1997, voters in the city of Seattle approved a study of an expanded monorail system.  In 2000, voters approved an initiative for the Elevated Transportation Company to develop a monorail expansion plan, which included $6 million in funding.  The city of Seattle also has a bus service that is run by King County Metro.

Summary:  A city with a population over 300,000 can create a city transportation authority to perform a public monorail transportation function if a majority of voters within the city approves it.  The authority can acquire public transportation facilities and may lease, construct, add to, improve, replace, repair, maintain, operate, and regulate the use of monorail facilities.  It is authorized to fix rates, tolls, fares, and charges for the use of the monorail and may establish routes and classes of service.  The authority area may not extend beyond the city and may be dissolved by a referendum of city voters if the authority is faced with significant financial problems.

The authority adopts a public transportation plan which must be approved by the city council and voters within the boundaries of the authority area.

To pay for and to implement the plan, the city public transportation authority may levy excess levies on property and issue revenue and general obligation bonds.  Any number of the following taxes must also be approved by voters:

B An excise tax on the value of motor vehicles within the city not exceeding 2.5 percent.

B A sales and use tax on retail car rentals within the city not exceeding 1.944 percent of the base of the tax, if the motor vehicle excise tax is implemented.

B A vehicle relicensing tax not exceeding $100 for each car within the city.

BAnnual property tax levies of $1.50 or less per thousand dollars of property value, in addition to existing property taxes.

If a regional transportation act is not enacted by December 31, 2002, this legislation is null and void; therefore, a city transportation authority could not be established.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate2623

House906

Effective:  June 13, 2002

Partial Veto Summary:  The Governor vetoed sections:  (1) requiring the city transportation authority to adopt a public transportation plan; (2) requiring the plan and any amendments adopted by the authority to be submitted for approval to the legislative authority of the city; (3) requiring public hearings to be held to allow public participation in the development of the plan; (4) requiring the plan or amendments to be effective either upon approval by the city legislative authority or upon the passage of 90 days in which the city legislative authority neither approved nor disapproved the plan or amendment; (5) requiring qualified voters in the authority area to vote on the plan after approval or inaction after 90 days by the city legislative authority; and (6) requiring the regional transportation act to become law by December 31, 2002 in order for this legislation to be enacted.