MARYSVILLE, Wash — On Tuesday, voters in Marysville will decide on a ballot measure to renew a tax that has been in place for a decade.
The Transportation Benefit District (TBD) is funded by a sales tax approved by voters in 2014 and expires this year. Voters will decide whether to renew the tax for another ten years. The tax will not be raised.
It is a 0.2% sales tax, which is 10 cents on a $50 purchase. The City of Marysville says this tax generates around $3 million per year. The money is used for road and sidewalk improvements.
Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring said it would be a huge problem if it did not pass. He was in office when it was first approved in 2014 and said it has greatly benefited the city.
“We have been able to pave hundreds of miles of roadways and put sidewalks in,” said Nehring.
He also said the tax allows them to get more federal and state grants for their roads because many grants require the city to match the cost. He said having a stable funding source allows the city to maximize its money.
“What communities do that don't have this type of thing is they don’t repair all their roads and you end up driving on roads that are not conducive to good travel,” said Nehring.
Nehring said when this was originally created, the city was intentional in making it a sales tax, and not a property tax.
“There's a lot of through traffic here. So we said, ‘Hey, how about we get this in the sales tax arena where people that come into Marysville and shop here are helping to pay for those roads as well since they're traveling on them also,’” said Nehring.
Some voters KING 5 spoke to said they were voting in favor of the tax renewal because it does not increase taxes, and they believe the city has done a good job maintaining the roads.
Other Marysville residents said they believe more road improvements are needed but are unsure if a sales tax is the right way to fund them.
“Instead of having working people like myself or you have to pay the cost, I think wages should also be taken into consideration from elected officials,” said Michelle Cortez, a Marysville resident.
There are three ballot drop box locations in Marysville. People can drop off their ballots at these locations until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13.