Mayor pleased with vote to help streets

Grand Coulee’s city streets will benefit from last week’s voter approval for a “Transportation Benefit District,” and the mayor is pleased.

The issue on the ballot gained “yes” votes from 122 Grand Coulee residents. Only 45 indicated opposition to raising local sales tax on non-food items from 7.9 to 8.1 percent.

The increase goes to repair the city’s streets.

Mayor Paul Townsend was pleased with the positive vote. The city council had struggled with the concept of a “Transportation Benefit District” and took an entirely different approach in establishing one.

Electric City and Elmer City, each, have established transportation benefit districts, but rather than boost sales tax have opted to hike the prices of vehicle licenses by $20, which goes into their coffers, also for street repairs.

“Our citizens really came through for us,” Mayor Townsend said Monday. “I think it was a record for us here.”

Townsend stated the sales tax increase would provide the city with matching money for grants, many of which require a 50-percent match.

“Right now we have to take money from other categories for any matching requirements,” Townsend stated.

Grand Coulee, like a lot of cities, annually updates its Six-Year Street Plan, but can’t marshall funds to do the work.

Last year’s winter damage to streets was extensive, and funds to combat the breakup of pavement weren’t available to make a dent in the problem.

State revenue officials told city officials that the increase in sales tax on non-food items would be enough to raise approximately $50,000 annually for street repair.

Voters were attracted by this since visitors from outside the city would share in the cost of street repair.

It will take a good part of 2018 to build up the fund, but it will be the source of substantial funding each year for ten years. The city receives its sales tax share from the state on a quarterly basis.