Pasco City Council schedules public hearing on proposed Transportation Benefit District

Pasco City Council will consider a proposal to create a Transportation Benefit District at a public hearing on Feb. 2, the city’s meeting preview said. Presenter told viewers the district as proposed would cover all of Pasco and require residents to pay an additional annual vehicle registration fee to raise money for road maintenance.

The proposal, Presenter said, is one response to rising costs for building and maintaining roads and declining revenue from traditional sources such as fuel taxes as vehicles become more fuel-efficient. "1 possible way to make up the difference is to create a transportation benefit district," the Presenter said during the program.

The preview noted that revenues collected by a transportation benefit district would be restricted to road-related projects such as maintenance and improvement. Presenter also described an alternative the council could pursue: creating a local sales tax to fund roads, a route taken previously by Kennewick and Richland.

Why it matters: the preview framed the TBD as a local funding choice that would affect all Pasco residents if the district is configured to include the entire city. A public hearing is scheduled so residents can comment before the council votes. The city preview directed viewers to the Feb. 2 meeting for more detail and public comment opportunities.

The city’s preview did not state the proposed fee amount, the exact ballot or ordinance language, or whether the council will vote on establishment of the district on Feb. 2; those details were not specified in the program.