September 8, 2010 in City

City, Valley might back vehicle tax, Mielke says

• Print
• Email
• Share

Spokane County Commissioner Todd Mielke said Tuesday that Spokane and Spokane Valley city officials have indicated they may seek a countywide vehicle tax.

A countywide “transportation benefit district” requires the cooperation of the county and 60 percent of the cities in the county – including cities that control 75 percent of the county’s incorporated population.

Mielke said he anticipates Spokane and Spokane Valley may make formal requests within a month. He said some smaller cities, including Rockford and Waverly, also have expressed interest but want a guarantee they would receive at least $50,000 a year for local projects.

State law allows transportation benefit districts to levy a variety of taxes, but local interest has focused on a vehicle registration charge. Up to $20 per vehicle may be collected without voter approval, and voters may authorize up to $100.

Mielke said all the city officials he has talked to have agreed that no tax should be levied without voter approval.

Commissioner Mark Richard expressed concern that such a vote would harm a bond measure to build a new jail if the two coincided, but Mielke said city officials seem willing to work around the jail ballot.

Six comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  lewis8457 on September 08 at 7:16 a.m.

  Time to get out the old printer and start making my tags again. If the police actually ticketed people for expired tags I might be more willing to pay the 20 bucks.

• 

  misjustice on September 08 at 7:29 a.m.

  That’s okay, Lewis. We’ll soon have 45 less “law” enforcement officials able to write those tickets. Given their track record, that’s a good thing. Attacks on citizens should go down.

  I find it rich that Richard doesn’t want a voter conflict with his prized new jail bond levy. Very telling.

• 

  liarsinnews on September 08 at 7:42 a.m.

  How about the stupid state legislators who enacted a law to mandate automobile insurance without a provision for enforcement? Where I come from, each year when a person has to purchase new license tabs they must show proof of insurance. If our liberal governor Gregorie was serious about the law (she pushed for it when she was state AG) surely she was smart enough to put in the provision. When she was AG she also spent untold dollars promising to stop spam and encouraged users of the internet to let her know. What a waste of time and money. Typical of her reckless spending habits.

• 

  lewis8457 on September 08 at 8:10 a.m.

  i agree before you can get tabs you must show proof of current insurance. And take the few minutes to let the clerk call to make sure you do have insurance. very easy to make insurance cards on a computer.

• 

  MrDavis on September 09 at 4:56 a.m.

  Another idea for shifting the burden of gross mismanagement to the taxpayer.

• 

  icielee on April 17 at 3:24 p.m.

  Yeah, I’ll vote for it when they sell the raceway. Waste of money and should be private. I’ll vote no.