Friday, September 2, 2011

Seattle Times: Seattle's $60 car-tab fee: where it could go

In an uncertain world there are few things harder to sell than higher taxes with an uncertain plan for those taxes.

As Seattle voters ponder whether to boost car-tab fees another $60, they can't peruse a simple list of projects and decide if they want to pay to have them done.

Instead, if they agree to pay an estimated $204 million over 10 years, the City Council would later make decisions about how to spend it.

The measure on the Nov. 8 ballot is different from a typical school or parks construction levy.

There's only a general plan for the money, but most of it would support transit, cycling and pedestrian projects. About one-fifth is earmarked for pavement repair or replacement.
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Seattle Times Newspaper, Seattle's $60 car-tab fee: where it could go

When you can write a headline as an open question in reference to $200 million dollars, you have to wonder just how much effort will have to be made to get this tax to pass.