Download the full Legislative Memo here.

Key Findings

1. Washington Policy Center has long recommended that Sound Transit’s governance structure change so that the board is directly elected and accountable to the public. The provisions in Senate Bill 5220 accomplish this needed reform.
2. Senate Bills 6108, 5043, and 5044 all give counties the choice to opt-out of Sound Transit 3 taxes. Pierce County was the only county in the Sound Transit taxing district to oppose the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure in 2016, and overwhelmingly supported Initiative 976, which cut those same taxes. If Pierce County residents do not want light rail, it should not be forced upon them.
3. The bill could ultimately be a win-win for Pierce and King counties, as King County residents who want light rail are politically frustrated with opposition from outside counties who do not agree there is enough of a public benefit to support such measures.
4. Senate Bill 6606 and Senate Bill 5042 would provide necessary and long overdue relief to those families who have been subject to an unfair valuation of their vehicles.
5. Senate Bill 6606 would replace the repealed depreciation schedule Sound Transit uses from the 1999 schedule, which overvalues cars and gets the agency maximum tax revenue, with the newer 2006 schedule in state law.
6. Senate Bill 6606 would also repeal Sound Transit-related sections of Initiative 976 and provide that if Initiative 976 is upheld in court– then those sections would be repealed anyway.
7. Senate Bill 5042 would establish a credit program that effectively assesses car-tab taxes based on Kelley Blue Book or National Auto Dealer’s fair market values, whichever is lower. It would apply a retroactive credit to overcharges that have been paid since 2017, a provision that should be a part of any car tab bill that seeks to bring relief to taxpayers.
8. As they deliberate these bills, lawmakers should prioritize protecting taxpayers, rather than Sound Transit.

 Continue reading the full Legislative Memo here.