Sales tax that is expiring after 10 years will go back to Tumwater voters for renewal in April
Residents of the City of Tumwater will have a tax measure on the April 22 Special Election ballot that hasn’t been seen in 10 years.
Since 2015, the city’s Transportation Benefit District (TBD) sales tax has generated $19.23 million and has helped secure $6.45 million in grants to build, maintain and improve Tumwater roads and other transportation infrastructure.
The original ordinance called for a sales tax of two-tenths of one percent, 0.2%, for a period of 10 years to fund or finance specified transportation projects. Those 10 years are up.
Brandon Hicks, director of the city’s Transportation and Engineering Department, summarized the plan to put the tax measure on the spring ballot, asking voters to renew it with no changes. A public hearing was held Jan. 21, but no one signed up to comment.
The City Council voted unanimously to place the proposition on the April ballot. It calls for a renewal of the 0.2% sales tax for the TBD for an additional 10 years.
For people buying items in Tumwater, the tax would remain the same as it is now. If you spend $100, the TBD sales tax would be 20 cents.
Hicks said the revenue would ensure that those who use Tumwater roads to shop in the city, including those who don’t reside there, pay a fair portion for the roads they use. He said if the tax were to go away, costs would shift to city residents.
Hicks said he remembers when he started working for the city nearly 10 years ago, the roads were in pretty poor condition — possibly the worst in the county.
“If we didn’t have the TBD, our roads would be much worse than what they were 10 years ago,” he said.
Background of the TBD
TBD funding is used to preserve, maintain and expand the transportation infrastructure within city limits, according to the city’s website.
Since 2015, the TBD has funded more than 100 lane miles of road improvements, more than 100 new curb ramps, and almost 50,000 tons of asphalt for Tumwater roads.
It helped fund bicycle and pedestrian improvements at Israel Road and Linderson Way, and the citywide National Highway System Resurfacing Project. Yearly pavement maintenance is also paid for by the funds, and so are other sidewalk and bike lane improvements that come up.
Hicks said the Jan. 21 public hearing wasn’t necessary by law to get the measure on the April ballot, but it was held because staff want to expand the scope of projects the TBD can cover.
He said sidewalks are the focus of what staff want to add under to TBD.
“I say it’s a minor change, but it’s pretty substantial. We have a lot of barriers in the city, especially since we’re an old city, and the barriers can be missing segments,” he said. “They can be portions of sidewalk that are heaved from roots or curb ramps that are non ADA compliant.”
He said the goal with a sidewalk program is to try to make all of the city’s pedestrian facilities accessible. He said adding sidewalks under the TBD would help boost the program, and staff can leverage dollars for more grants that are meant for sidewalk and pedestrian projects.
Hicks said if the tax renewal is approved, the city is going to be transitioning to more roadway repair and sealing, rather than large-scale construction projects.
“Now we’re going to slowly focus more on the more affordable preservation to slowly improve all of the city,” he said. “There are still going to be some very poor streets that we need to get out and hit and those, those are the ones that cost a lot of money.”
Hicks said a handful of streets that need attention are Antsen Street, Littlerock Road, and Tumwater Boulevard. He said some maintenance was done on Tumwater Boulevard just a couple years ago, but those spots are already degrading.
If renewed, Hicks said the TBD would generate more than $35 million over the next 10 years.
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