Bill would require state to pay for election on viaduct instead of voters

OLYMPIA – When the advisory ballot measure is submitted to Seattle voters on the Alaskan Way Viaduct, Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, wants to make sure that voters don’t get left footing the bill.

“I think it’s only fair. If the state wants Seattlelites to vote for the advisory ballot measure on the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the state should have to pay for it,” said Jacobsen.

Jacobsen is the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 5249, which would reimburse the election costs of an Alaskan Way Viaduct ballot measure. This bill would provide the Department of Transportation with an extra $1 million as part of its project oversight responsibilities to cover the costs of the election. According to the King County Elections Office, the current estimate for the advisory ballot measure is $1 million.

“I don’t agree with an unfunded gubernatorial mandate that has an estimated $1 million price tag,” said Jacobsen. “We should follow the precedent set by the Regional Transportation Investment District in funding local elections.”

This bill has the support of Sens. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Ed Murray, Erik Poulsen and Adam Kline.

The measure would appear on the ballot in late March or early April 2007, before the end of the state legislative session.

SB 5249 will soon be heard in the Transportation Committee.

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