Pierce Transit is moving ahead with a process that could result in a reduction in its boundaries.
The transit board Monday voted unanimously to convene a Public Transportation Improvement Conference, kicking off the boundary revision process that’s outlined in state law.
New boundary lines haven’t yet been proposed; that will come later. But the East Pierce cities of Orting, Buckley and Bonney Lake are among the areas that could be removed. Those cities now get little or no service, and their mayors have talked about leaving the district.
Tacoma City Councilman Jake Fey, one of the board’s nine voting members, said examining boundary changes is about fairness.
“Many parts of Pierce County have substantially reduced or no service but are still paying sales tax as if they had service,” Fey said. “I think this is the time to really ask the elected officials in all the cities … what the appropriate steps forward ought to be for Pierce Transit.”
Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, another board member, noted that the agency has struggled financially.
After this year’s failure of a sales tax increase, Pierce Transit cut service by 35 percent and went through its third round of layoffs in three years, eliminating about 190 positions in that round alone.
If a boundary revision were to occur, it could improve the prospects of future tax measures because areas with little or no service – and voters who see little reason to vote yes – could be out.
“This is about the long-term viability of this organization, especially the financial viability,” Strickland said Monday. “We have a responsibility, both legal and fiduciary, to make sure this system remains financially viable.”
The process likely will take about six months. Pierce Transit hasn’t gone through it before.
The conference will be made up of elected leaders from every city in the county, as well as the county government itself. New boundaries will be proposed, and there will be opportunities for affected communities and the public to weigh in before the group adopts any changes.
Today, Pierce Transit’s boundaries encompass 414 square miles. A reduction would mean a loss of revenue, because the agency collects a 0.6 percent sales tax within its boundaries.
This money makes up about 70 percent of the agency’s funding. In 2010, the cities of Bonney Lake, Buckley and Orting together contributed about 4 percent of the agency’s total sales tax revenue for that year, according to data from the state Department of Revenue.
Lars Erickson, transit spokesman, has said a boundary change would “leave open the question of what revenue options would be available” to the agency. He listed a sales tax increase in the remaining area as among the possibilities.
Pierce Transit in February proposed raising the sales tax to 0.9 percent to preserve service and make up for recessionary losses. But the measure failed with about 46 percent of the vote.
The board Monday also discussed next year’s financial picture. Transit staffers are proposing a $115.6 million operating budget for 2012, a figure that includes the Sound Transit service the agency operates.
The budget is based on current boundaries and doesn’t include further layoffs or service cuts. If the boundaries are changed next year, the budget would have to be amended, Erickson said.
The transit board is expected to vote on the budget at a meeting next month.
The Public Transportation Improvement Conference will have its first meeting Dec. 16 in Puyallup.
Sara Schilling: 253-552-7058
sara.schilling@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/street
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