Council voices opposition to I-912, supports MACC

Moses Lake could lose $66,000 annually, if I-912 passes

MOSES LAKE — Voters this year control millions of tax dollars for infrastructure improvements in Grant County, and the Moses Lake City Council twice took a stand Tuesday in hopes their voice will help those improvements get made.

The council passed a resolution unanimously opposing Initiative 912, the initiative that would repeal the gasoline tax package passed by the legislature earlier this year.

Council members also unanimously voiced their support for Grant County Proposition No. 1, which would increase county sales taxes by one-tenth of one percent for repairs to the county's emergency dispatch center.

"I think it's a very positive stroke," Councilman Dick Deane said of the resolution opposing I-912, "I think it's something we have to be farsighted (about) and look down the road."

Initiative 912 supporters have said voters are not getting value out of the state gas tax from the Washington State Department of Transportation, but Moses Lake officials cited projects in the city and Grant County that would be lost if the initiative passes.

Moses Lake would lose $12.9 million in improvements for the widening of portions of Highway 17 and the construction of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Interstate 90 at Potato Hill Road if I-912 passes. The resolution opposing the initiative also states that the City of Moses Lake would lose $66,000 each year in direct tax distributions allotted by the most recent gas tax package.

In voting, Councilman Brent Reese remarked that the state needs gas tax revenues for infrastructure and said a 9.5-cent jump at the pump over four years was better than a 9.5-cent jump in one day.

"I think we need the tax revenue to maintain our infrastructure," Councilman Jon Lane echoed of the gas tax.

Council members voiced their support of the local measure for improvements and operations at the county's emergency dispatch center. Proposition 1 was placed on the ballot by the Grant County Commissioners after the board of the Multi Agency Communication Center requested the measure for the MACC emergency dispatch center. An AdComm Engineering report released earlier this year priced a complete overhaul of the

system at $7 million.

In presenting the proposition to the council, city manager Joe Gavinski, who also sits on the MACC board, said he didn't know how improvements would be made if Proposition 1 did not pass.

"If in fact they aren't done," Gavinski said of improvements, "the system will continue to fail."

Councilmen Richard Pearce showed his support for Proposition 1, saying that if it did not pass, then fees for users of the emergency dispatch system for services like ambulances would have to be raised. Councilman Steve Shinn also voiced his support, saying the sales tax was the proper funding source to solve problems at the dispatch center.

"I think it would be irresponsible of any elected official in Grant County to be in opposition to this proposition," Councilman Lee Blackwell said of Proposition 1.

In other council news:

? The council unanimously adopted the master plan for the City of Moses Lake activity trails.

? Council members unan-imously approved the use of McCosh Park by Burke Marketing and Promotions of Veradale to put on a free four-day festival in the park. Bill Burke of Burke Marketing presented the idea to council as a festival similar the "Pig Out in the Park" event in Spokane, which his company also puts on.