Bremerton voters turn down car tab fee Bremerton voters turn down car tab fee

Bremerton voters overwhelmingly said no to raising the vehicle licensing fees $30 to pay for street and sidewalk repairs, with more than 69 percent voting against the measure.

“I’m disappointed that people don’t want to maintain their streets, but the people have spoken,” said Bremerton City Council member Nick Wofford, who supported the fee increase.

Election results as of Wednesday evening show 69.25 percent of voters rejected the proposal and 30.75 percent approved it, which translates into 3,845 no votes and 1,707 yes.

City Council member Mike Shepherd said he wasn’t surprised and “already knew” Bremerton voters would shoot down Proposition 1.

“We’ve known that for close to a year,” he said. “It’s just a shame the council voted to waste $8,000 to present a half-developed plan.”

Shepherd said he and other city council members surveyed the public in recent years and learned roads were not a top priority of many Bremerton residents.

“The council just ignored all that,” he said. “It’s just a shame the people have ideas and priorities about what’s important to them and the city council just ignores it.”

How to fund repairs of Bremerton’s aging streets and sidewalks has been an issue for the city council for a while and the proposed $30 car tab fee increase would have given the city roughly $900,000 per year to make the repairs.

The council, which also acts as the city’s transportation benefit district, has the authority to impose a $20 vehicle licensing fee increase without needing voter approval, but Wofford said they did not want to do something the public wouldn’t support.

“The reason we went to the vote was to gain the trust of the people,” he said.

Wofford said he is hoping the Legislature can provide some financial assistance, but that could be years away.

“There is no plan B, that’s the problem. Nobody’s got a plan B,” he said. “Right now, there is no funding next year for streets.”

Both Shepherd and Wofford agree there needs to be more discussion about how to fund street and sidewalk repairs.

“We’ll have to think about it for a while,” Wofford said. “I guess people will just have to start living with potholes.”

Bremerton voters overwhelmingly said no to raising the vehicle licensing fees $30 to pay for street and sidewalk repairs, with more than 69 percent voting against the measure.

“I’m disappointed that people don’t want to maintain their streets, but the people have spoken,” said Bremerton City Council member Nick Wofford, who supported the fee increase.

Election results as of Wednesday evening show 69.25 percent of voters rejected the proposal and 30.75 percent approved it, which translates into 3,845 no votes and 1,707 yes.

City Council member Mike Shepherd said he wasn’t surprised and “already knew” Bremerton voters would shoot down Proposition 1.

“We’ve known that for close to a year,” he said. “It’s just a shame the council voted to waste $8,000 to present a half-developed plan.”

Shepherd said he and other city council members surveyed the public in recent years and learned roads were not a top priority of many Bremerton residents.

“The council just ignored all that,” he said. “It’s just a shame the people have ideas and priorities about what’s important to them and the city council just ignores it.”

How to fund repairs of Bremerton’s aging streets and sidewalks has been an issue for the city council for a while and the proposed $30 car tab fee increase would have given the city roughly $900,000 per year to make the repairs.

The council, which also acts as the city’s transportation benefit district, has the authority to impose a $20 vehicle licensing fee increase without needing voter approval, but Wofford said they did not want to do something the public wouldn’t support.

“The reason we went to the vote was to gain the trust of the people,” he said.

Wofford said he is hoping the Legislature can provide some financial assistance, but that could be years away.

“There is no plan B, that’s the problem. Nobody’s got a plan B,” he said. “Right now, there is no funding next year for streets.”

Both Shepherd and Wofford agree there needs to be more discussion about how to fund street and sidewalk repairs.

“We’ll have to think about it for a while,” Wofford said. “I guess people will just have to start living with potholes.”

• email
• letter
• print
• follow