Committee Hears Bill Letting Counties Form Ferry Districts to Support Vehicle Ferries

The House Local Government Committee heard testimony on House Bill 2588, which would allow counties and county ferry districts to take actions related to the operation of vehicle-carrying ferries as well as passenger-only ferries. Committee staff said the bill "strikes 'passenger only'" language so ferry districts can support vehicle ferries in addition to passenger-only routes.

Sponsor Representative Timmons argued the change restores parity and local problem-solving for counties that operate vehicle ferries. "This bill is about parity, and it's about problem solving locally," Timmons said, noting rising operating costs and fares on the Lummi Island ferry and saying the county road fund has been drawn down to cover ferry expenses.

Local officials told the committee the change is targeted to a small set of counties that already operate vehicle ferries. Kaylee Galloway, chair of the Whatcom County Council, said Whatcom's vessel, the Whatcom Chief, "is almost 65 years old" and makes nearly 12,000 trips per year; she told lawmakers fares and a shrinking road fund make the current funding model unsustainable. Whatcom County Public Works Director Elizabeth Cosa said ferry service is "essential infrastructure" with no detour when the ferry is out of service.

Pierce County Council Chair Jani Hitchen said ferry service provides lifeline transportation to island residents, including seniors and low-income households, and that expanding the legal authority to form ferry districts would create a potential tool for long-term financial sustainability. Pam Gould, a longtime Lummi Island resident and former ferry-advisory committee chair, described current fares (transcript: "$24 per trip, $34 if you're traveling with a spouse for every single trip") and emphasized community dependence on the route for schools, medical care and supplies.

Opponents raised general concerns about new local taxing districts in later public comment, but supporters — including a county-association representative — urged the committee to approve the narrow statutory change as a local option for the four counties that operate vehicle ferries.

The committee suspended the HB 2588 public hearing earlier in the morning to take up other business and later reopened the hearing to hear the local testimony; no final committee action on HB 2588 is recorded in this transcript. The committee adjourned after the day's testimony.

What happens next: HB 2588 remains under consideration; the committee heard extensive local testimony supporting the measure and no final vote is recorded in the provided transcript.