Voters OK sales tax increase for STA

Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a sales tax increase to support the Spokane Transit Authority.

Sixty-nine percent of the ballots counted Tuesday were cast for the tax, with 31 percent against it.

Supporters erupted into cheers as they watched the first absentee numbers flash onto the television at their election party at the Steam Plant Grill downtown.

“You can’t have a real community of Spokane’s size without a bus system. It’s unimaginable. But now that’s not going to happen,” said a jubilant Greg Falk, co-chair of the Save Our Transit campaign.

The .3 percent increase – 3 cents on a $10 purchase – will raise about $18 million a year, about the same amount lost when STA stopped receiving any money from the state’s motor vehicle excise tax.

STA officials warned that without the tax they would have had to cut fixed-route bus service by 40 percent and paratransit vans by 17 percent starting in July.

A previous attempt to win voter approval of the .3 percent increase narrowly failed in 2002.

STA was able to use its reserve account to continue funding bus services after that defeat, but that account is now almost depleted.

Supporters of the tax increase credited their victory to the campaign work of a broad coalition of religious, labor, business and social service groups.

“It was an unprecedented effort with all these groups,” said Tom Robinson of the Spokane Alliance.

Guy Smith, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1598 said he sensed the community’s attitude shift about STA while he was waving signs Tuesday. There were far more thumbs-ups and honks of approval this year than the thumbs-downs and rude gestures he experienced in 2002.

Opponent Joel Crosby said Tuesday night he was disappointed but not surprised by the election results, since the election took place during a low-turnout month. Turnout was about 35 percent, according to election results posted on the Internet.

STA needed to reform but now it won’t, Crosby said.

“I don’t think it’s going to change very much because it has so much money it doesn’t have to,” he said.

The tax increase plus the sales tax STA already collects will amount to about $36 million a year. That money is needed to keep the system fully operational, said supporters of the ballot issue.

Downtown Spokane Partnership President Mike Edwards said he told members of the group that the ballot issue wasn’t perfect but that it needed to be passed to keep buses rolling and avoid businesses leaving downtown because of parking concerns there.

“What I told people is, ‘Just hold your nose and vote yes,’ ” Edwards said.

Some voters echoed that sentiment as they left the polls Tuesday.

“I don’t want any new taxes, but basically transit has us between a rock and a hard spot,” said Leslie Walls, who voted for the tax because of the many people who rely on Spokane’s buses.

Maryanne Neu voted against the tax.

“I think that Washington state is too highly taxed already. STA needs to go back to their board and see what they did wrong,” Neu said of the agency’s empty reserve account.

“They have that wonderful barn downtown,” said Neu, referring to the STA Plaza where buses load and depart. “People are afraid to use it because of all the panhandlers.”

STA will next have to adjust its 2004 budget, which currently factors in the now-unnecessary cuts, said STA CEO Kim Zentz.

“It’s clear that community support is thorough, but it’s conditional,” Zentz said.

Work will begin immediately to improve service and cooperation with neighborhoods, she explained, adding, “Everything we do is going to start with, how do we increase ridership.”