Light rail or no? Voters to get a say

Spokane-area voters will get their chance this fall to weigh in on a proposed light rail system after four years and $8.5 million worth of planning.

The Spokane Transit Authority board of directors on Thursday unanimously approved two advisory questions for the November ballot.

Though not binding, the results will likely determine the fate of a proposed 15.5-mile light rail system between downtown Spokane and Liberty Lake.

“We want to know if people are willing to pay for it,” said STA board member and Spokane Valley City Councilman Richard Munson.

The first question asks if voters want STA to come up with a specific funding plan, most likely including increased local taxes, to put to a binding vote in 2007.

The second question asks whether STA should use existing funds – about $5 million – to pay for preliminary engineering work.

Yes to both questions would indicate a desire to continue down the track to building a mass transit system by 2014.

A yes vote to only the second question would direct STA to finish up with some planning work but not pursue building light rail at this time. Yes to just the first would essentially stop work now, but leave open the possibility of restarting it after a 2007 tax vote.

No to both would likely kill light rail plans for the foreseeable future.

When STA sought and won in 2004 a 0.3 percent sales tax increase to maintain the current bus system, board members pledged they wouldn’t invest more money in light rail without voter approval.

About 80 percent of the money spent on light rail planning has come from federal grants, but building the system would require a large local investment.

According to a report on funding alternatives, the most feasible way to pay for light rail is another sales tax increase.