$20 car-tab fee proposed by Constantine for Metro bus service

King County Executive Dow Constantine has proposed a temporary $20 car-tab fee to help avoid cuts to local bus service.

Constantine said he supports trying to get a supermajority of County Council members to enact the fee so it wouldn't have to go to the ballot.

"This is about your ability to get to work, to get home to your family, and it's about that whether or not you ride the bus," Constantine said Monday.

King County Metro Transit faces a $60 million deficit starting next year and a 17 percent reduction in service over the next two years, with the majority of the cuts expected in the Seattle-Shoreline area, where most of the buses run.

Constantine also outlined a backup plan that would reduce transit service if necessary. Under that scenario, Metro would reduce service on 12 routes and delete 20 routes. About 80 percent of the county's bus riders would see some of their service degraded, Constantine said.

Without the car-tab fee, service reductions would begin next February, according to Metro.

The $20 fee, assessed on vehicle registrations for two years, would provide $50 million to help Metro. That's enough, when combined with $70 million in reserve funds, to largely maintain existing service, according to Metro.

However, to enact the fee without an election vote, at least six of the nine County Council members must sign on. Four council members, all Republicans, have said they're against enacting the fee without voters weighing in.

One of those Republicans, Reagan Dunn, said he's against putting the proposal on the ballot this year.

"Right now, I don't think it's appropriate to give people who drive automobiles a new fee in a down economy," he said.

Dunn acknowledged, however, there might be enough support to put the proposal to voters. That would take only a simple majority of the council.

Constantine said going to the ballot would delay enacting the new fee, and transit advocates have said they'd rather avoid the expense and uncertainty of an election campaign.

"Punting to the ballot is an option, but it is a bad, expensive option," Constantine said.

The Legislature this year gave county officials authority to charge the fee. Councilmember Larry Phillips said the earliest the car-tab fee could be passed is July 22, when the state law goes into effect.

The council would have until Aug. 16 to place a measure on the November ballot, but the last regular council meeting before that deadline is July 25.

This story contains information from Seattle Times archives.