Snap Judgment
Should Sound Transit Rethink the Car Tab Increase?
Voters approved the Sound Transit 3 plan in November 2016, continuing the old—some would say “inflated”—car valuation system and added a tax increase of 0.8 percent. A necessary tax or are Seattle residents being taken for a ride?
“Sound Transit officials chose to use an outdated valuation method to inflate the value of your car. An additional $100 or more may be minor to public officials, but it’s overwhelming and unfair to working families.”
—Mariya Frost, director of Coles Center for Transportation at the Washington Policy Center
“It is not fair to say this tax actually puts a dent in every commuter’s finances. It’s good for public agencies to employ taxes that people see.”
—Jan Whittington, urban design and planning professor, University of Washington
“I was fully aware that a yes on ST3 would increase our car tab. I think it is a reasonable burden to bear for ensuring that we have great public transit.”
—Christopher Stone, driver and Sound Transit commuter
