Most Spokane Voters Support I-695, Poll Shows

Tue., Oct. 26, 1999

By Jim Camden jimc@spokesman.com (509) 879-7461

The state initiative on vehicle license tabs is favored by a majority of Spokane voters, a recent poll shows. But it may be a close call in the city on Election Day.

Fifty-one percent of city voters contacted by Research 2000 of Rockville, Md., said they planned to vote yes on Initiative 695.

The proposal would eliminate the motor vehicle excise tax, set all license tab fees at $30 and require voter approval of any increase in taxes, fees or charge by a government body.

About a third of the voters in the survey, 35 percent, plan to vote no, and 14 percent are undecided.

Del Ali, president of the polling firm, said voters who remain undecided by Election Day are more likely to vote no. He also noted that some polls have shown a decline in support for the initiative statewide, so a small margin in the city of Spokane could be dwarfed by a large majority for one side or the other in the more populous Puget Sound.

The poll of 403 likely city voters was conducted between Oct. 13 and 15 for The Spokesman-Review and KHQ-TV.

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