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Article: Business owners split over WTA tax issue: Transit taxes have passed in nine of 10 votes since I-695's passage; Tri-Cities was only area to defeat tax increase.(Whatcom Transit Authority)
- Article from:
- Bellingham Business Journal
- Article date:
- March 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Wenatchee Business Journal, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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As local voters decide this month whether the sales tax should be raised three-tenths of a percent to maintain current services provided by the Whatcom Transit Authority, several other counties have already made their choice.
Of the 23 transit authorities in the state, 10 have asked voters for an increase in the sales tax since I-695 went into effect in January 2000. Nine of those transit tax levies were passed by the voters, while the 10 th -- the Benton-Franklin Transit Authority in the Tri-Cities area -- lost by 170 votes out of 33,000 votes cast and is back on the ballot for March 12.
Of the areas that have passed the tax increase, the business ...