By Jessyn Farrell, Interim Public Relations Officer, Pierce Transit
Lakewood, WA – Nine of the ten Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners participated in a work session Monday, February 28 with the goal of ensuring that they had all the information they needed to make a decision about next steps after the failure of Proposition 1, which asked voters to approve using the final 0.3% sales tax authority available to Pierce Transit to preserve existing service levels.
The Board directed staff to go forward in reducing the system by approximately 35% by October, 2011. All service and staff reductions will occur by that date. These actions will stabilize the agency’s finances and allow for short and long-term sustainability.
Public hearings will be held in the following communities in April:
o Tacoma
o Gig Harbor
o Puyallup
o Lakewood
o Bonney Lake
Dates and times for the public hearings will be announced in a later communication. The Board will take formal action for the October service reduction at their May 9, 2011 meeting.
Claudia Thomas, Board of Commissioners Chair, stated, “The Board is deeply regretful about the impacts of this decision on Pierce Transit riders, the community and employees.”
The Board will not pursue exercising ballot authority at this time but did not rule out using it in the future.
Johnmcmd says
Isn’t it about time that elected officials started representing the voters? What’s all this about regret? Who are commissioners representing? It’s clear it’s Pierce Transit and they’re towing the party line. A 35% reduction in services yet it appears that Pierce Transit has only had about a 11% reduction in revenues over the last 3 years. How does that add up? My suggestion is that commissioners remember who elected them: the same voters who rejected Prop 1 and not Pierce Transit which they are supposed to oversee. Secondly, I’d suggest that they each purchase a calculator and do the math rather than relying on the smoke and mirrors accounting provided to them by Pierce Transit.
Dean says
We (the voters) have not paid the ransom (the tax increase) so the terrorists (Pierce Transit) will now lop the heads off the hostages (the riders). It is easier to cut off an appendage than to fix the brain tumor that is causing the problem. Cutting service in an unrealistic manner without fixing the over inflated wages and management problems will do nothing to fix Pierce Transit’s woes.