A resolution increasing the city’s vehicle license fee from $20 to $40 annually is among the items on the agenda for the Edmonds City Council’s Tuesday, July 18 business meeting.
The council ia also scheduled to consider a proposal authorizing the mayor to sign a contract with consultant VIA Architecture to develop the city’s 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update and a resolution regarding 2024 council budget priorities.
The proposal to double the vehicle license fee comes from Public Works and Utilities Director Oscar Antillon, who stated in a staff memorandum: “The demand for maintenance and operational funds has increased continually. The number of traffic control devices has increased along with a deteriorating infrastructure due to less than recommended investment in the pavement preservation program. Investment at the right time is critical to maximize the effectiveness of limited funds. When timely investments are made, infrastructure conditions stabilize and costs to maintain and preserve remain low.”
Regarding the Comprehensive Plan update, one sticking point discussed during last week’s council public safety-planning-human services-personnel committee meeting was whether the city should conduct a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Highway 99-area Gateway neighborhood — something councilmembers voted to do in October 2022. The idea behind the SEIS was to address concerns neighbors had about how future growth could impact them, from infrastructure to the environment.
But staff has suggested it would be more effective and efficient to conduct a citywide EIS — rather than two separate efforts — as part of the 2024 Comprehensive Plan update. Some councilmembers last week pushed back on that idea and asked for a public hearing to ensure Gateway-area residents were heard.
The resolution regarding 2024 council budget priorities follows an extensive council-driven public engagement process aimed at gathering citizens’ ideas for the upcoming budget cycle. The list includes:
- Public Safety Services, including emphasis of police presence and response along Hwy 99
- Neighborhoods – enhancing walkability, beautification, clean up and business development
- Community Spaces – acquiring/improving parks and facilities in areas lacking amenities
- City Government – improving transparency, function and citizen input
- Environment – waterfront restoration and green technology/infrastructure
The business meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the council chambers, Public Safety Complex, 250 5th Ave. N., downtown Edmonds. You can also watch meeting via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/95798484261.
Or comment by phone: US: +1 253 215 8782 Webinar ID: 957 9848 4261.
Regular council meetings beginning at 7 p.m. are streamed live on the council meeting webpage (where you can see the complete agenda), on Comcast channel 21, and Ziply channel 39.
Prior to the 7 p.m. meeting, the council will meet at 5 p.m. in the third floor Brackett Room of Edmonds City Hall to interview five candidates for the city’s salary commission and one for the alternate position that recently became open on the Edmonds Planning Board. (The agenda for that 5 p.m. meeting is here.) The council is set to approve those appointments as part of its business meeting consent agenda.
I have watched other neighborhood roads paved again and again. I have seen sidewalks added while we have lived in Westgate for 30 years with little attention from the City. Now after taking care of the bowl for all of these years. you want to charge me more on my tabs, that are out of hand already? Don’t. Seek State Funding Please!
My view if the city can spend a hundred grand on a option to buy a 37 million dollar property to expand government even further it doesn’t need the tab increase. Or any tax increase at all more like we need a tax decrease. Did you know the city budget in 2012 was about 33 million and today it is about 120 million. Are we getting 4 times more government for the increased spending?
I do not support increasing the vehicle tax. When the TBD was established in 2009 I supported it back then even though I was afraid it was another tax available for city council to increase. I also can say that I would not have supported it back then had vehicle owners at that time been paying the unfair sound transit excise tax – unfair because fictitiously high vehicle values are used to determine the amount of the tax.
So, council members, let’s not now further exacerbate the annual cost of vehicle ownership. The extra $20 is for a worthy use, but council members need to evaluate expense priorities and find it there and not from the pockets of taxpayers.
Mr. Wambolt that makes good sense on behalf of consumers. Forty bucks doesn’t sound like a lot to some legislators but combined with the RTA tax already imposed on car tab fees it is a big deal for some trying to make ends meet and need to drive to a job. Looks like it passed anyway.
The same can be said for property tax. Each taxing entity, multiple on the statement, seem to look at just their portion and state “it’s only this amount per household.” Well, it sure can be a bunch for some folks when the bill is all added up with all the taxing elements. Big picture is not seen or ignored totally all the time. Frustrating.
It passed because only two council members understood that just because there is a need for more revenue, and many taxpayers can afford it, doesn’t mean that even more taxes is the reasonable thing to do.