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Public hearing draws island residents opposed to proposed 2026 ferry fare hike; county cites operating costs, dock grant awarded
Summary
Skagit County held a public hearing Oct. 21 on a proposed 30% fare increase for 2026 and a resolution to convert non-expiring COVID-era punch cards; island residents pressed for audits, multi-ride discounts and better use of grant funds.
Skagit County held a public hearing Oct. 21 on a proposed 2026 ferry-fare schedule and a resolution to convert non-expiring COVID-era punch cards, drawing more than two dozen speakers from the Guemes Island and broader Skagit communities.
Public Works Director Michael See and Ferry Operations Division Manager Rachel Rowe said the proposed 2026 schedule is intended to move the ferry toward the board's fare-box recovery goal established in Resolution 2023-0152, which sets a 65% fare-box recovery requirement by Dec. 31, 2028. Rowe summarized recent history: the county raised fares 14% in August 2023 and 30% in February 2025, and staff proposed an additional 30% adjustment for 2026 with the stated goal of achieving a 55% recovery in 2026 and reaching the 65% target by the end of 2028.
Rowe said operating and maintenance costs have risen sharply, citing pandemic-era cost escalations, deferred maintenance that required costly repower and structural upgrades in 2025 and…
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