Metropolitan King County Council 516 Third Ave., Rm. 1200 Seattle, WA 98104 Phone: 206-296-1000 Toll Free: 800-325-6165 TTY/TDD: 206-296-1024 Fax: 206-296-0198 council@kingcounty.gov
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Nov. 17, 2008 Ferry District vote lowers tax rate while keeping demonstration passenger ferry routes on schedule Supervisors also act to move to year-round West Seattle water taxi service and continue Vashon passenger ferryThe King County Ferry District Board of Supervisors today approved a 2009 budget and work plan that funds a feasibility study of a passenger ferry route between Shilshole in Ballard and Downtown. The Board also approved savings and efficiencies that will lower the ferry district tax rate in 2009.
“Studying the feasibility of a Ballard passenger ferry route is timely, with recent announcements about the Alaskan Way viaduct replacement project reminding us that Ballard residents will need increased options for getting around during viaduct construction and beyond,” said Supervisor Larry Phillips, who represents Ballard on the King County Council. “I look forward to hearing from the community during the feasibility study process, so that we can incorporate citizens’ needs and ideas into the demonstration route.”
The King County Ferry District is a countywide, special-purpose district formed in 2007, with the nine County Councilmembers serving as the Ferry District Board of Supervisors.
The King County Ferry District currently funds the Elliott Bay Water Taxi, which carried more than 182,000 riders between West Seattle and downtown this summer, representing a 70 percent increase in ridership over the past three years. The Ferry District also assumed funding of the Vashon Island-to-downtown passenger ferry route this year from the state of Washington.
Board members lowered the average tax bill for district residents by electing to bypass both the allowed annual 1 percent levy increase and the increase for new construction value. Almost three-quarters of 2009 funding will also be held in reserve pending the creation of detailed work plans on proposed demonstration passenger ferry routes by the King County Department of Transportation’s Marine Division.
“With families watching their budgets closely this year, we are keeping the tax rate as low as possible and finding efficiencies so we can continue the vision of bringing new waterborne transit alternatives that make sense in a region surrounded by lakes and the Sound,” said Phillips.
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