How Will Bridge Be Paid For? Council Asks Pupo Told To Come Back With Financial Plan

The Lincoln Street bridge project will move ahead, but only after Spokane city officials prove to the City Council it’s affordable.

City Council members told City Manager Bill Pupo they wanted to know how the city could pay for both the bridge and desperately needed street improvements.

The council voted unanimously to have Pupo come back with a financial plan that details how the city can pay for the Lincoln Street bridge and surrounding road and bridge projects, including the redecking of the Monroe Street Bridge.

Pupo said he should have the financial plan ready in February, the same month the bridge design is expected to be finished.

For the first time, several council members spoke frankly about their feelings on the bridge.

“I’m not comfortable with where we are financially,” said Councilwoman Phyllis Holmes.

“If we don’t have the money, we won’t have the bridge,” said Councilwoman Roberta Greene. “If I had to vote on the bridge tonight, I’d vote no. No one’s told me how we’re going to pay for this.”

“I’ve been sitting on the fence on this thing for a long time,” said Councilman Jeff Colliton. “We can’t jeopardize street funding to provide local funding for the Lincoln Street bridge.”

The city plans to use $7.04 million in gas tax revenues to build the $36 million project. Colliton and other council members worry that spending gas tax money on the bridge would threaten long-term arterial improvements. Historically, the city’s share of gas tax money has been used to fix streets as well as match state and federal dollars for larger projects.

While some council members said they were concerned about the funding, others worried that any delays would hurt other projects downtown, such as the River Park Square redevelopment.

“This is an 11th-hour deferral of the project… There were commitments that were made a long time ago,” said Mayor Jack Geraghty.

The council’s vote came after more than two hours of impassioned testimony both for and against the bridge.

Before opening testimony to the 35 audience members signed up to speak, the council heard from members of the citizens committee charged with reviewing the project.

Last month, the committee voted 9-8 in favor of building the bridge.

The split vote prompted committee members to present both views to the council.

Don Barbieri, chairman of the committee, spoke for the proponents.

He reminded the council that three citizens committees spent more than 4,000 hours studying the project.

“That group is in front of you tonight with the well-thought recommendation you should go forward with the bridge,” Barbieri said. “Delaying this bridge one, two or five years could have a detrimental effect on our community.

“This is a critical investment in our downtown.”

Former state Sen. John Moyer, speaking for the opponents, pointed to a recent survey calling for a public vote on the project. The council’s reluctance to put the measure on the ballot has helped erode taxpayers’ confidence in government, he said.

“My whole thing is that I think the river, the gorge, the falls, is a jewel, not only to Spokane but all over this county,” Moyer said. “It can be used to bring people here.

“I’m not really opposed to the bridge as to where it’s located.”

Testimony throughout the evening was punctuated by contradictory information.

Opponents presented data about air quality and traffic flows they said proved the bridge wasn’t necessary. Proponents presented data they said proved the opposite.

Opponents said the bridge would destroy the gorge. Proponents argued the project would vastly improve pedestrian access to the falls and expand Riverfront Park.

, DataTimes