Bellevue’s Proposition 2 will provide a revenue stream that the City Council may choose to use in any way they want. The six categories of projects to be funded by the 20-year property tax (about $6-7 million per year) are only broadly defined; no list of specific projects, and no implementation schedules have been established by the City Council.

The levy’s implementing ordinance (6304) allows the council to select any type of projects within the six categories; the council may also choose not to develop any projects. No life cycle cost estimates for potential projects have been developed, and less than 1 percent of the city’s registered voters commented on the categories of projects. No provisions exist for citizen/taxpayer participation in selecting projects that might be funded by the levy.

The city has ample resources to allocate to projects referred to in the Proposition if only the city will stop subsidizing the construction of infrastructure (bridges, roads, sidewalks, utilities, parks, etc.) that developers want for their projects.

The city is not obligated under RCW 36.70A (the state Growth Management Act) to fund or provide such infrastructure; it can be financed by the developers using LIDs or TBDs. Vote no on Proposition 2.

David F. Plummer

Bellevue