Money dedicated to repair city roads is dwindling. Reduced driving, increased fuel efficiency, unforeseen initiatives, and the continually rising cost of road repairs are depleting our Street Fund. These realities have evolved and are permanent; to maintain Covington’s roads we must find additional money or the Street Fund will be insolvent by 2017.

A Transportation Benefit District is a long-term solution to the problem. Proposition 1 raise the sales tax by a modest 0.2% to 8.8%, still leaving Covington with one of the lowest sales tax rates around. A small increase of $2.00 on a $1,000 purchase if passed. A sales tax affects everyone who shops in Covington. Many people from the surrounding area use Covington’s roads to shop in Covington’s stores; it is fair that all those who use the roads help pay to maintain them.

City Council currently subsidizes the Street Fund with $250,000 from the general budget. If the TBD passes the Council has committed to hire an additional police officer and to increase code enforcement by 10 hours a week. Proposition 1 has a double benefit—paying for proactive street maintenance and increased police staff.

Details at: http://www.covingtonwa.gov/TBD/index.html

Keep Covington Moving! Vote Yes Proposition 1

Please vote no to stop a new taxing district.

Government should live within its means like its citizens.  The need for another taxing district shows that the city chooses not to operate within its budget.  Raising taxes is not the solution to every spending problem.

Covington collects over 12.5 million dollars in revenue.  Most of these taxpayer dollars are available for any use.   This is more than enough to pay for the two most essential services, police and safe streets.

The operating budget of the aquatic center exceeds $700,000.00.  The annual operating losses from the aquatic center would more than pay for another police officer.

Covington has less than 18,000 residents and the equivalent of a little over 40 employees.  These employees receive over 4.4 million dollars in wages and benefits.  The city motto “unmatched quality of life” certainly applies to the city employees.

Our long term debt service costs the city well over a million dollars annually.  If approved this taxing district can be renewed to last 20 years.

Covington is a great place to live.   Please get involved with your community so that positive changes can be made for a sustainable future.

Please vote no.

A 2012 citizen group found Covington lives responsibly within its means.  By State law, much of Covington’s revenue is for a specific use—it is not available for streets or police.  Prices of road materials and construction have increased while tax revenue has decreased.  A TBD costs the average shopper an extra $10 a year and is a long-term and inexpensive solution, preventing very large future problems.  Preventative maintenance is wise and responsible—vote YES.

Statement submitted by: Leslie Hamada, Bud Sizemore and Laura Morrissey leslie.hamada@yahoo.com

If the city does not have enough money for streets they are spending it on something less important.   The city arbitrarily decides where the tax dollars are spent.   Streets should be a budget priority not an excuse for a new taxing district.

Non-residents already support Covington through gas and sales taxes.

We easily found fat in the budget that can be trimmed so we have living wage taxes.

Do you feel under taxed?

Statement submitted by: Philip Jones and Leroy Stevenson pmjones4080@hotmail.com

Download the full text of the resolution

Simple Majority (RCW 82.14.045)