Help Us Pave the Way

Published by David Futcher on January 12, 2009 under General

I’d like to invite interested citizens to join us as we consider a significant paving plan at a council workshop on Wednesday night, January 14. The meeting will be at city hall at 6:00.

Public Works Director David Sypher has pointed out to the council that a dollar spent today on road improvements can easily save five times that amount down the line. An overlay can keep us from having to completely reconstruct a street for many years. Along those lines, he proposes a $1 million resurfacing project to take place in 2009.

Nobody questions the fact that we could find enough surface to repave in Kelso. (Here are the proposed components of the project.)  And, if spending $1M now saves us $5M in a few years, the investment appears sound. The one obvious question, then, is (as always) How Do We Pay For It?
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Tacoma May Raise Auto Registration to Fix Streets

Published by David Futcher on May 24, 2008 under General

PotholesThe Tacoma city council is considering bringing a ballot measure to the city’s voters that would impose a $20 vehicle registration fee in order to pay for street improvements. According to the article in the Tacoma News Tribune, the city could set up a transportation benefit district that charges $20 per vehicle annual fee even without voter approval, but would probably send the proposal to the voters regardless.

I’ve found in talking with Kelso residents that one of the top concerns is the quality of our streets. To that end, the council has allocated hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to our overlay program. Even with that level of funding, we can’t do everything that’s needed for our streets.

I’d personally prefer to avoid taxing folks any further, and work towards attracting growth that can help fund road work and other quality of life-type improvements. But, what do you think? Would you be willing to pay more for vehicle registration or in property taxes if the funds were committed to street improvements? Comment below!