SB 6652, sponsored by Sen. Joe Nguyen (D–Seattle), increases local revenue options to support and fund city and county transportation systems.

SB 6652 seeks to mitigate many of the deficits identified by the Joint Transportation Committee Assessment of City Transportation Funding Needs Report. The bill provides additional locally imposed revenue options to fund city and county transportation systems.

The bill:

• Allows cities to impose a new 2% transportation-specific utility tax;
• Allows cities to impose a local gas tax of up to 10% of the state rate—or 4.9 cents per gallon; and
• Changes current law concerning Transportation Benefit District sales taxes by allowing imposition via councilmanic action and increases the applicable rate from .02 to .04.

This is one of AWC’s priority bills for this session and we are thankful to Sen. Nguyen for championing this legislation.

Dates to remember

SB 6652 is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee on Monday, February 10 at 1:30 pm.