November monorail vote unlikely

Seattle City Council members decided this morning they will not put a monorail advisory measure before voters in November.

Instead, a proposed resolution gives the Seattle Monorail Project until Dec. 23 to write its own new plan for the Feb. 7 ballot, or the council would refuse cooperation, and urge the 2006 Legislature to dissolve the SMP. The council plans to vote on the resolution tomorrow.

Last Friday, Mayor Greg Nickels said he would cancel city street-use agreements for monorail construction, and demanded either a new SMP plan for the Nov. 8 ballot, or the city would write an advisory measure. Neither seems likely right now.

"A February ballot is too late for the taxpayers," Nickels said in a prepared statement, adding that the issue needs to be resolved by Seattle voters rather than the Legislature.

"Also, the monorail could be forced to start the entire bidding process all over again, adding another two years and tens of millions of taxpayer dollars before a spade of dirt is turned," Nickels said.

While today's move by the council buys three months for SMP to craft a new plan to either cut the $2.1 billion price or shorten the line, council members blasted the agency this morning -- and seem likely to take a skeptical eye to whatever SMP proposes next.

Councilwoman Jean Godden said today's decision should not be seen as pro-SMP. The council avoided a November revote only "because that would be a weak thing to do," she said. "Either the monorail gets it act together or goes out of business."

SMP Chairwoman Kristina Hill said she would try to persuade the council that the agency's revenues are solid, by having SMP's economic advisers give presentations. "I hope we can bring people to them whom they will consider credible."

The agency got into trouble with the public when a finance plan, released in June, showed that at least 50 years of tax and $11.4 billion in debt payments would be needed to pay for the line. SMP abandoned that plan and is trying to write a new one.

Nickels said last week the agency still is using overly optimistic forecasts of its future tax income and that the entire 14-mile line through Ballard, Seattle Center, downtown and West Seattle is not affordable.