When I attended the City of Burien Council Meeting/Public Hearing in July, I didn't plan on writing the statement against the $25 Burien Vehicle Tax/Proposition 1 (for sidewalks and bike paths).

However, when no information was presented about: the projects costs, amount to be collected from this tax, what other grants/sources could help with the projects, how much these project streets were actually used, I was frustrated.

There were no sketches/diagrams of what the finished work might look like. The City quoted statistics from 2008 Burien Citizen Survey that were inaccurate.

Citizens asked questions. The City didn't answer. The Council immediately voted to put the Vehicle Tax on the November ballot. In depressed economic times, the City was asking citizens to rubber stamp a new tax.

The City hadn't surveyed the use patterns of the project areas. Both 8th Ave and South 136th have light use by both pedestrians and bikes. Currently, South 136th has better sidewalks than the neighborhoods in Burien, Seattle, Renton, Kirkland and Bellevue that I have lived in.

The bike riding space along the curb is broad and relatively free of parked cars. Only 13 percent of the respondents to the 2008 Burien Citizen Survey who live in these areas thought there was a need to improve sidewalks and bike paths.

The City stated at the Hearing the tax will last two years. That is not true. Under the rules for Transportation Benefit Districts, the tax remains in place until the project is completed and paid for.

The City does not have the authority to promise otherwise.

Some of the endorsers/supporters of the tax can't answer basic questions about the tax. The campaign signs are being funded by a legislator from Vashon Island and her aide. So what's up? Joe Fitzgibbons suggested on the Transportation Choices Coalition Web site that this is a trial balloon to see if Burien can get residents to vote for this type of a tax.

Other cities in the state are watching to see if they can use the same strategy to get new taxes from their residents. I'm not happy to be part of this trial balloon experiment.

Burien is one of the highest taxed cities in King County. I strongly urge the citizens of Burien to vote "NO" against Proposition 1/$25 Burien Vehicle Tax or other new taxes until Burien improves how it presents the need for new taxes to its citizens.

Chestine Edgar
Burien