City council passes resolution opposing Initiative 976

Blaine City Council passed a resolution opposing Initiative 976 after holding a public hearing on the issue at its October 28 meeting.

Initiative 976 would limit motor vehicle license fees (car tab fees) to $30 per year; repeal or reduce certain motor vehicle weight fees; repeal the authority for city transportation benefit districts (TBDs) to impose vehicle fees; reduce electric vehicle fees to $30 per year; and repeal the 0.3 percent tax on motor vehicle retail sales, among other things.

During the public hearing, one Blaine resident commented on the ballot measure. “I support Resolution 1781-19, which would oppose Initiative 976,” she said. “I know that the city doesn’t generally get involved in supporting specific things, but this is really important to us.”

Prior to the vote, Blaine city manager Michael Jones explained why the city decided to take a position on the ballot measure. He said that I-976 would have the effect of reducing revenue for state and regional road projects. “The state has estimated a loss of revenue in the vicinity of $1.75 billion dollars over about five years should this pass,” he said. “That has the potential to be very significant in the state’s ability to fund transportation projects.”

Specifically, Jones said that the proposed grade separation project at Bell Road could potentially be affected if I-976 passes. The project would construct an overpass over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) mainline, alleviating the traffic delays caused by trains.

City councilmembers also took turns addressing I-976. Speaking in favor of the city’s resolution and the Bell Road project, Charlie Hawkins described how the traffic backups caused by the trains are potentially dangerous to school buses. “It’s not safe to be on the [Dakota Creek] bridge for any extended period of time if an earthquake comes,” he said.

Jaime Arnett also cited the overpass project as a reason for supporting the city’s resolution. “There’s nothing more important to my constituency than getting the grade separation at Bell Road,” she said. “If they vote yes to I-976, then I’m afraid that we just won’t have the funding for that.”

Alicia Rule also spoke in favor of the resolution. “We don’t have the revenue to be able to make up for a shortfall at the state level,” she said. “In my opinion, the citizens of Blaine need our voice collectively to be able to pass this resolution.”

Steve Lawrenson said he hopes that I-976 fails. “Statewide, this would affect the transportation budget dramatically,” he said. “I’m all for paying less money, but we need this one to stay the way it is.”

Mayor Bonnie Onyon said that the city’s resolution was in the best interests of the Blaine community. “I probably wouldn’t like the idea of taking a stand on a political issue like this,” she said. “I do think this will have a pretty major impact on our own projects here as well as many other communities. So on this particular issue, I’m willing to take a stand on this one.”

City council’s resolution passed 6-1, with Eric Davidson opposed. “The bigger concern I have is that we, the city council, are trying to influence the voters in general,” Davidson said prior to the vote. “I don’t think it’s our place as a city council to try to tell the city of Blaine how to vote.”

The city cannot publicize Resolution 1781-19 by sending out mailers or publishing a press release, since it does not normally do these things when resolutions are passed by city council. However, city councilmembers may publicly discuss the resolution using their official titles, as long as they indicate that they are not speaking on behalf of the city of Blaine, said city attorney Jon Sitkin.