Monorail Agency Stops Car-Tab Tax, Refund Unclear

06/29/2006

The Seattle Monorail Project says it will stop collecting its car tab tax by the end of the week. The tax has been in effect since June 2003. Most Seattle drivers have paid it three times, while some have had to pay four times. But it’s still too early to tell if the agency will issue refunds. KUOW’s Derek Wang reports.

THE SEATTLE MONORAIL AGENCY HAS BEEN ABLE TO END ITS CAR TAB TAX EARLIER THAN ORIGINALLY THOUGHT, BECAUSE IT MADE AN 11-MILLION-DOLLAR PROFIT ON ITS LAND AUCTION. BUT THE AGENCY FIRST NEEDS TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY IT HAS BEFORE IT CAN ISSUE ANY POSSIBLE REFUND. THAT WILL TAKE A FEW MONTHS. BETH GOLDBERG CHAIRS THE MONORAIL BOARD.

Goldberg: "Someone may pay their car tab that was due in June, in for example, July. There’s going to be a lag time for payments that were due in June."

ANOTHER REASON WHY THE AGENCY SAYS ITS PREMATURE TO DISCUSS REFUNDS, IS THAT IT NEEDS TO HAVE SOME CASH IN RESERVES. JONATHAN BUCHTER IS THE AGENCY’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

Buchter: "Unfortunately there are people who are suing us. And we have obligations to relocation of tenants that were in properties that we brought and so forth. Not all of which are completely wrapped up yet."

THE BOARD HAS SAID IT WOULD LIKE TO REFUND DRIVERS WHO HAVE PAID THE ADDITIONAL FOURTH TIME. BUT IT’S UNCLEAR IF AND HOW THAT MIGHT HAPPEN. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING SAYS IT WOULD SHARE DATA WITH THE MONORAIL AGENCY. BUT IT ALSO SAYS IT DOESN’T HAVE THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO ISSUE THE MONORAIL TAX REFUNDS. MONORAIL BOARD CHAIR BETH GOLDBERG SAYS THE AGENCY WILL CONSIDER ALL ITS OPTIONS.

Goldberg: "We are still exploring how that might work. Whether that be issuing a refund through D-O-L or using some sort of private entity, we’re still exploring different options for how that might work."

THOSE OPTIONS WILL GET COMPLICATED. THE DOWNSIZED AGENCY ONLY HAS A STAFF OF 3 PART TIME WORKERS. THEY’D BE IN CHARGE OF OVERSEEING ABOUT 30-THOUSAND REFUNDS. I’M DW, KUOW NEWS.

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