Council members Tom Rasmussen and Nick Licata say they are offended that Mayor Greg Nickels and council member Jan Drago allegedly knew the state Legislature would not include funding for improvements in its stimulus package for the Mercer Corridor before the council voted this earlier week to release funding for the project.
“The need for crucial information to the council I think has offended a number of council members to authorize construction,” said Rasmussen. “I think council members who voted for this construction are considering receding the authorization because they were not given complete information from Drago who is the chair of transportation.”
The council members sent out a joint statement earlier this week expressing their disappointment.
On Monday, both, along with council member Sally Clark, voted against releasing lifting the remaining spending restrictions on the Mercer Corridor and allowing construction to begin. But it passed 6-3.
Seattle Transportation estimated the Mercer Project to cost $116 million. Currently they have secured $52 million and a reported $64 million, 55 percent, of non secured construction costs is still needed.
They had learned on Monday from the joint House Transportation Committee press conference in Olympia that the mayor new ahead of time that $50 million needed to fully fund the project wasn't included in the proposed federal stimulus package.
Rasmussen, who supports the Mercer Street Project, said that he believed the council should not approve anything until they have certainty of funding for the project.
The council's vote to release the funds came after the executive provided a full funding plan, thus meeting the council’s requirement from last year’s budget process.
It appeared that this vote was taken without council members knowing that the state Transportation Chairs had already decided not to propose the remaining funding for the project.
Rasmussen said the Mayor new two to three weeks ago that it was highly unlikely that the city would be eligible, while Drago may have learned of the information the Sunday before the vote.
Neither told council members.
“It is undermining trust and that is unfortunate,” Rasmussen said.
It raises the question whether the council would have voted to proceed with this project if it had known that the city does not have the money to complete it.
