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Shoreline council advances $10 vehicle license fee proposal to fund road maintenance
Summary
On Dec. 8, Shoreline City Council discussed Ordinance 1050 to raise the Transportation Benefit District vehicle license fee from $40 to $50, a change staff said would yield an estimated $415,000 a year for sidewalks and road surfaces; the council agreed without objection to place the ordinance on the consent calendar for Dec. 15.
Shoreline City Council discussed Ordinance 1050 on Dec. 8, a proposal to raise the Transportation Benefit District vehicle license fee from $40 to $50 per year. Transportation Manager Kendra Dodinski told the council the current $40 fee generates about $1.7 million annually and that the $10 increase would be expected to produce roughly $415,000 in additional revenue each year.
The additional revenue, Dodinski said, would be used for road surface maintenance and sidewalk repair after existing debt service obligations. "This generates about $1,700,000 annually," Dodinski said, and "the $10 VLF increase proposal would be anticipated to generate about another $415,000 in additional revenue each year." She noted the city will discuss detailed allocations in the next budget cycle.
Dodinski also cautioned the council that the fee is a flat charge: "Notably, this is a flat fee, which can be called a regressive fee and impacts those with lower income more significantly than those with higher income," she said. She told councilors the community could gather sufficient signatures to require a public vote on the increase, which staff said would be tentatively scheduled for Aug. 6 (year not specified). If voters approve, staff said the earliest the city could begin collecting the higher fee on its schedule would be Feb. 7, 2027 (date as stated by staff).
In questioning, Deputy Mayor Mork noted the deterioration of Shoreline streets and asked whether deferred maintenance makes repairs more expensive. Dodinski replied that deferred pavement maintenance carries "exponential impact on the cost" and that industry best practice is proactive maintenance to avoid higher-cost structural repairs.
Council member Muskogee asked about less regressive alternatives. Dodinski said some jurisdictions link charges to vehicle value or use levies for transportation, but that the city’s current vehicle-license-fee structure cannot be adjusted to a value-based model. "There are not a lot of revenue sources for transportation," she said.
After discussion, Mayor Roberts said, with no objection, the council would place Ordinance 1050 on the consent calendar to return on Dec. 15, when the council could formally consider adoption. Earlier in the meeting the council approved the evening's consent calendar unanimously; the clerk recorded aye votes from Council members Ramsdell, Pobie, Scully, Mayor Roberts, Deputy Mayor Mork, Ademasu and Robertson.
The meeting adjourned following the consent-calendar scheduling.
