The Identity Clark County (ICC) Board of Directors has declined to support C-TRAN’s proposed one-tenth of one percent sales tax measure on the November ballot. Identity Clark County strongly supports all elements of the proposed Columbia River Crossing including light rail in Southwest Washington, and ICC has a proud tradition of support for past ballot measures that have served to improve the quality of life in our communities. However, in this case, the Identity Clark County Board of Directors does not believe that the need for this new sales tax to fund High Capacity Transit Operations and Maintenance in Clark County has been demonstrated.
“We are in full support of the Columbia River Crossing project because it is a comprehensive solution to improve mobility, accessibility and safety through a complex five-mile stretch of Interstate 5, and we support Bus Rapid Transit along the Fourth Plain Corridor.” said ICC Board Chair Lisa Lowe, “However, C-TRAN and its stakeholders already have identified numerous other funding avenues that can and should be pursued before asking citizens for another sales tax increase.”
During the 4 months preceding the C-TRAN Board’s July 10th sales tax ballot measure vote, the staff of C-TRAN and the City of Vancouver identified numerous alternative-funding options for the Operations and Maintenance of light rail in Vancouver, and the Construction and Operation of Bus Rapid Transit along Fourth Plain Boulevard.
Identity Clark County’s Board of Directors believes that the needs of the community would be better served by the development of a realistic funding plan based on these previously identified alternative revenue sources rather than the pursuit of a new sales tax, and Identity Clark County is committed to assist C-TRAN in the refinement and implementation of a reasonable financing package. (ICC statement)