Yesterday, the Municipal League of King County announced it is recommending a “No” vote on Seattle’s Proposition 1 ballot measure to increase car tab fees and sales taxes to send more money to King County Metro Transit.  In the announcement the Municipal League said, “voters do not have a clear understanding of what they are voting to approve,” and that passing Proposition 1 would be giving a “blank check” to transit agency managers. 

At first Proposition 1 backers said they wanted new taxes to stop bus service cuts, but Metro managers say they are preserving most bus service with current growing revenue.  Now backers say they want the money to buy new services, even if it means increasing regressive taxes on Seattle’s working families.

The non-partisan watchdog group also said that imposing new taxes would undermine the government’s efforts to control Metro’s high operating costs.

Earlier this month, Washington Policy Center presented its research to the Municipal League regarding the ballot measure. We noted that regressive tax increases are no longer needed to preserve bus service, as King County officials have already planned to manage rising revenues better and to control costs in ways that avoid drastic service cuts in city neighborhoods.

The Municipal League’s recommendation is an important development in light of the recent actions of the King County Council.  Last April, the Municipal League supported King County’s ballot measure to raise taxes for Metro Transit, albeit “reluctantly,” to preserve current levels of bus service.  Now the League says, based on the brighter budget outlook for Metro, that new taxes are not needed.