Mayor Chris Beutler has announced that a neighborhood representative would be one of the two co-chairs of a planned citizens’ oversight committee if the quarter-cent sales tax is passed by voters April 9.
Beutler also assured residents that neighborhood street repair would be the primary focus of proceeds from the quarter-cent sales tax.
The mayor’s statements were in response to recent news stories regarding representation on the oversight committee.
The three mainstream candidates for mayor also said they would commit to using most of the money raised by the quarter-cent sales tax for residential streets. One of the three will likely become mayor in May, replacing Beutler, and would lead the city during much of the six-year life of the quarter-cent tax.Ìý
Leirion Gaylor Baird and Jeff Kirkpatrick, who both support the quarter-cent sales tax for streets plan, have said they are committed to spending most of that new money on residential streets.
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Cyndi Lamm opposes the quarter-cent plan, but said if it passes she will use most of the revenue for neighborhood streets.
The issue arose after neighborhood leaders discovered the Beutler administration had tentatively told the business community that developer Rick Krueger would chair the oversight committee, which will monitor how the additional money is spent, and business leader Debby Brehm would be a committee member.
In addition, the ballot language guarantees that at least 25 percent of the money will be spent on new construction, but there is no similar guarantee for spending on older, residential streets.
Voters are being asked in the April 9 primary to approve the plan, which increases the city sales tax by a quarter-cent for six years. That revenue, about $13 million a year, would be used for street construction and repair.
“If the measure passes, I would appoint two co-chairs, one affiliated with our neighborhood associations and one representing our business community. Remember that business people go home to their neighborhoods every night and neighborhood leaders want a strong economy and good jobs,†said Beutler in a news release.
Beutler said it’s his goal that the oversight committee, which will advise the mayor and council, represents all parts of the community, if voters approve the plan.
“We need a variety of people with different backgrounds and views. And we need to strike the right balance between businesses and neighborhoods.â€
Beutler said it would be premature to formally appoint specific individuals before the vote.
Beutler pointed out that the maintenance and repair of existing streets is already prioritized in two documents — the six-year Capital Improvement Program, which was approved as part of the 2018-2020 biennial budget, and the Transportation Improvement Program.
If the quarter-cent proposal passes, the city's plan for the first two years would be to spend at least 70 percent of the dollars on neighborhood street repair, Beutler said.
The Transportation and Utilities Department also plans to hold meetings across the city so residents can help inform the city of the streets they want prioritized, he said.
After the first two years, the city would evaluate the success and determine the next steps, but neighborhood streets would continue to be the priority, Beutler said.