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FEATURE | Redmond Town Center Arts Festival on tap this weekend [3] CRIME ALERT | Redmond Police Blotter [2] SPORTS | Redmond softball squad wins district title, headed to state tournament [10]
FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2013
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
Derby Days: A lesson in history
Redmond, other cities ask state lawmakers for local transportation funding options
SAMANTHA PAK
SAMANTHA PAK
spak@redmond-reporter.com
spak@redmond-reporter.com
This weekend marks the 73rd anniversary of the City of Redmond’s Derby Days summer festival. With two parades, live music and entertainment, food vendors, a criterium bike race and more, there is something for everyone. But before the annual event grew to its current size with all the different activities, Derby Days was a fundraiser to buy holiday decorations for the city and athletic equipment for the local school. While many activities have been added throughout the years, Redmond Historical Society office manager Monica Park said a few have been part of the festival since the beginning. The first is the Criterium, which is sponsored by Swedish Medical Center in Redmond this year. A Derby Days staple, the Criterium has been part of the festival since its inception in 1939 and is the city’s oldest event and the country’s longest-running bicycle race. Park said the race route was around Lake Sammamish before it moved to downtown Redmond. The Criterium on Saturday begins at 1:15 p.m. and the last race will be at 7 p.m. [ more DERBY page 7 ]
As a member of the Sound Cities Association (SCA), the City of Redmond was one of 35 cities in King County to vote unanimously to urge the state Legislature to pass a transportation package to address critical infrastructure needs and to support a “local options” component to the package. Nina Rivkin, chief policy adviser for the City of Redmond, said through these local funding options, King County and the cities within the county are asking state lawmakers to give them funding tools they can use. She said the cities and county need sustainable revenue to sustain their roads and transit service. Within the local funding options are an up-to 1.5 percent voter-approved motor vehicle excise tax (MVET) in King County and an increase in a transportation benefit district (TBD) vehicle fee. An MVET is a countywide tax that would be on the value of residents’ cars and go toward transit and local roads. “This is one tool we could use to provide revenue,” Rivkin said. She said if the Legislature approved the local fund-
ing options, King County would be able to put an MVET on the ballot for residents to vote on the issue. The revenue from the tax would be split with 60 percent going toward public transit and 40 percent going toward local roads. Rivkin said the local roads portion would be divided among jurisdictions and unincorporated King County based on population. Redmond’s share, based on the city’s 2012 estimated population and average vehicle value, would be about $1.6 million, Rivkin said. “If there were an MVET, transit would not be cut and we would have an additional source of funding,” she said about what this would mean for Redmond. A TBD can be formed by a city, a group of cities or the county and would be a charge on drivers’ vehicles. Up to now, the fee has been $20 but if the Legislature approved this option, Rivkin said the fee could be raised to $40 without requiring a vote. This increase would be implemented through local councils. To implement a TBD, jurisdictions must first determine a district, which could include more than one city. Rivkin said it would be too difficult and complicated to
CITY NEWS
Above: Cyclists compete in the Criterium bike race during last year’s Derby Days. File Photo Below: Cyclists line up for the start of the Criterium bike race at 1941’s Derby Days festival. Courtesy of Redmond Historical Society
[ more FUNDING page 3 ]
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