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Spokane Transit official pitches Proposition 1 renewal; Liberty Lake included in mobility-on-demand pilot
Summary
STA CEO Carl Otterstrom told the Liberty Lake council that Proposition 1 would renew an existing sales tax (no rate increase) to maintain service, support Connect 2035 projects and a mobility-on-demand pilot in Liberty Lake; staff warned the system could lose roughly $30 million a year if the tax lapses.
Spokane Transit Authority CEO Carl Otterstrom presented Proposition 1 to the Liberty Lake City Council on July 7, asking voters in the August primary to renew an existing sales tax that funds regional transit.
Otterstrom told the council the measure is a renewal, not a new tax, and would maintain the existing rate (described in the presentation as roughly 2 cents on a $10 purchase). He said the renewal would preserve recent service increases and enable delivery of the STA Connect 2035 strategic plan, which includes bus rapid transit projects, a Liberty Lake-specific mobility-on-demand pilot called STA link, and other high-performance transit investments.
Otterstrom warned of fiscal consequences if voters do not renew the tax: STA would lose about $30,000,000 a year and could forfeit state grants conditioned on maintaining the sales tax level; he also said an $82,000,000 federal grant for a Division Street bus rapid transit project would be at risk without the renewal. He described the mobility-on-demand pilot as vans integrated with an app and the Connect card system and said Liberty Lake is included in upcoming pilots; the initial local commitment is no later than 2028 with possible acceleration.
Council members asked about ADA access, timing and fare systems. Otterstrom said the initial mobility-on-demand vehicles in the pilot would not all be ADA-accessible but that the pilot would expand to include ADA-accessible vehicles and allow riders to request lift-equipped vans. He also described fare-capping on the Connect card and an eConnect phone option.
The mayor suggested the council consider a resolution of support and a possible outreach presence at community events; staff and Otterstrom discussed options for local engagement ahead of the August 4 primary.
