Car Tab Costs Could Go Up

SPOKANE – Spokane County Commissioners held a meeting to discuss the option of charging more for car tabs to fund road projects Tuesday evening. 

Currently in Spokane County license tabs cost $43, but Commissioners could bump up the cost of car tabs by $20 without a public vote.

They hope that the extra $20 would go to fund projects like Spokane’s unfinished North-South Freeway.

Citizens, like Mike Fagan, voiced their concern to the Commissioners over the proposed price hike.

“We want the right to vote on this thing, an advisory vote would be better than no vote at all.” Fagan said.

The extra tax would generate around $7 million to $8 million a year, which is only a fraction of the cost of the billion dollar price tag associated with the North-South Freeway.

Commissioner Mark Richard says that County Commissioners haven’t decided whether or not the tax will be added or if the proposition will go to the public for a vote. However, he did say that local residents must come up with some of the funding before the state and federal governments will kick in financial assistance.

“The alternative is that we stand still and do nothing and we watch this project eat us alive and the costs go through the roof.” said Commissioner Richard.

Other ideas for funding have been discussed, including requiring a toll be paid for driving on the North-South Freeway.

Commissioners most likely won’t make a decision until this summer, until then they are still looking for answers on how to fund area road projects.