Everiters face doubled transit tax in proposed merger vote

The Everett City Council and the Community Transit board of directors will vote next week on a merger that would effectively dissolve the local transit agency and double the city's transit sales tax.

Under the proposed interlocal agreement, Community Transit, the regional operator for Snohomish County, would absorb all operations currently run by Everett Transit. The city's tax rate for transit would jump from 0.6 percent to 1.2 percent. Officials project that the additional revenue would fund a 50 percent increase in bus service within city limits by 2031.

Public sentiment on the measure remains divided. Dozens of residents spoke at hearings held Wednesday and Thursday, presenting conflicting views on the trade-off between higher costs and improved connectivity.

Supporters argue the merger is necessary to handle projected population growth and reduce traffic congestion. Brock Howell, executive director of the Snohomish County Transportation Coalition, stated that the city needs to prevent the next 64,000 residents from filling streets with cars. He said, “We need to ensure that the next 64,000 residents don’t gridlock our streets and parking lots with more cars, and that new apartment buildings can be built for more people to live in rather than for their cars to be stored in.”

Sylvia Mendoza, a resident of south Everett, cited her daughter's commute as a primary reason for support. She said the trip to the Arlington area currently takes two and a half hours each way due to multiple transfers. “That is why the merger of Everett Transit and Community Transit is the moment we should seize to integrate more direct routes,” Mendoza said.

Bob Leonard, an executive director at the city of Everett, linked the merger to the arrival of light rail. He said a consolidated network would allow Community Transit to better prepare for the Sound Transit project, which is scheduled to reach the city within 11 years. Leonard noted that Sound Transit's federal grant applications would also become more competitive under the unified system.

Opponents contend the tax increase is an unnecessary burden and that the current local service is adequate. Daryle Sullivan, an Everett Transit driver, argued that “Transit service in Everett is great as it is.” He described the proposed tax hike as an additional stress on residents already facing rising costs and other recent tax levies.

Employee concerns form a central part of the opposition. Steve Oss, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 883, defended the local agency's efficiency. “We aren’t small and incompetent, we’re small and responsive,” Oss said. He urged the council to keep the local system independent.

The union is worried about how seniority, which determines route assignments and vacation days, will be handled during the transfer to Community Transit. Kandy Bartlett, the city's director of labor and administrative services, told the council that local drivers will retain their existing seniority until they bargain with Community Transit's union, Local 1576. If the two unions cannot reach an agreement on seniority implementation, the dispute may go to arbitration.

Tom Gibbons, a retired scheduler, told the council that employee morale is low due to uncertainty. He urged the council to delay the vote until the interlocal agreement provides clearer protections for seniority rights.

Some residents asked the council to send the measure to a public vote. However, city attorney Ramsey Ramerman argued that the complex nature of the agreement makes it better suited for elected officials than a popular ballot. Jennifer Gregerson, a city administrative official, said staff recommends the governing bodies vote on the agreement because it provides specific guarantees to the city.

The City Council is scheduled to vote at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 4. The Community Transit board of directors is expected to vote at 3 p.m. on Nov. 5.