Reject STA tax hike

Sales tax in most of Spokane County will increase from 8.7 percent to 8.9 percent by 2019 unless you vote “rejected” on Spokane Transit Authority Proposition 1.

STA currently receives six-tenths of 1 percent of our sales tax and wants a 33 percent increase to eight-tenths of 1 percent, which would ultimately cost taxpayers about $221 million. Please note that three of the nine-member STA board voted against asking for this tax increase.

Did you know that bus fares cover less than 20 percent of the costs of STA? We taxpayers pay the rest. Moreover, one of the projects, the $72 million dollar controversial trolley, would raise operational costs even more, since the cost for each passenger per trip would be about $4.73 instead of the current average of $4.03.

Our transit system needs improvements but we should not waste critical tax dollars on this expensive Central City Line. First, we need additional funds for public safety, especially more police officers to handle property crimes.

Please exercise your right to vote and then again vote “rejected” on STA Proposition 1. The Washington Policy Center has done an extensive study with recommendations for improvements without tax increases. See its report at www.washingtonpolicy.org.

Gretchen McDevitt

Spokane