Sam Colorossi's Transit and Tax Perspectives

City Council member Sam Colorossi shared his perspective on yesterday's blog post with me in an email and gave permission for me to share it.

"In my mind these taxes are two very different programs with two different commitments.  First, the RTA tax, if my memory serves me right, was floated to the public many years ago for creating the taxing district to fund the RTA project in the Puget Sound Area. The measure failed at the polls.  So the members of the RTA committee studied the voting results and resubmitted the plan, only this time they gerrymandered the lines throughout all areas that voted favorably for the plan.  When they resubmitted the plan for the second vote it past and the taxing district was established.

I cannot remember if Orting was included favorably for being a part of the construction plan however I do remember seeing a rail line proposed as far south as McMillin.  So those living in Orting who voted favorably for the RTA system knew full well they would not see Orting become a local benefactor of the long range plan.  One of the taxing forms for this program is the tax on any vehicles that uses the highways system.  The tax is collected yearly based upon the value of the vehicle being licensed by the Motor Vehicle Department.

    

On the other-hand, the Pierce Transit tax is a part of the sales tax package.  Many years ago, the Orting City Council felt it would be nice to have bus service to Orting.  So they petition Pierce Transit to become a part of their taxing district.  But, first, this had to go before the citizens of Orting and be voted on.  The measure passed at the ballot and we began receiving bus service.  Not, all that smoothly, but none the less, we had service.  After several years Pierce Transit was having troubles generating enough bus traffic, to and from Orting, to pay the bills.  So, Pierce Transit cut our services in the late 1990’s. As Mayor of Orting at the time I, personally, threaten deannexation.  Pierce Transit acquiesced with a service called the “Orting Loop.”  This was a very limited, “on call service”, if you will.

Now, times have changed.  The economy is in the tank and Pierce Transit has had to make some very tough decisions.  That they have done.  They have chosen to discontinue service to Orting.  With that commitment, they have broken an agreement to provide us service especially since we voted our community into their taxing district.   We will soon have no service, so should the citizens of Orting have to pay a tax for something that we are not receiving? 

In my mind, we cannot equate the Pierce Transit tax with the RTA tax, and therefore agree with Mayor Temple’s position.  These are two different types of taxing commitments that were made over the past years."

Thanks to Sam for sharing his thoughts and the background on the issue. 

If you'd like your opinion posted on this topic or some other that effects Orting, please send me an email to jrmadison@comcast.net and please express your perspectives appropriately for family readership.

Colorossi and Transit photos from Google Images.