Bellevue Council Splits 4-3 to Decline Any Position On I-1125

The Bellevue City Council split its vote Monday as it opted not to take any position on Inititative 1125, an initiative that could affect the future of tolling and transportation funding in Washington.

The initiative would require the state legislature to vote on rises in tolls and would earmark toll money and gas tax money for transportation projects.

Both supporters and opponents say that the measure also would have the potential to block Sound Transit's planned use of Interstate 90 lanes for Link light rail -- which is a vital part of Sound Transit's East Link plan.

, with Councilwoman Jennifer Robertson absent for that portion of the meeting, on whether or not to take a position on the topic. The council took testimony from intiatitive sponsor Tim Eyman, who spoke in favor of the initiative, and from state Rep. Ross Hunter (D-Medina) and Patrick Bannon, speaking on behalf of the Bellevue Downtown Association, encouraging the city to take a stance against it.

At Monday's meeting, public commenters were warned not to talk about the 1125, because that would violate state laws regarding taking public testimony on initiatives. However, Bellevue resident Lloyd Jacobs slipped through criticism of the council for declining to take a position last week.

"The game plan from that refusal tells me that this council intends to kill East Link," he said. "How else could it be interpreted?"

Council members Claudia Balducci, John Chelminiak and Grant Degginger, who all oppose the initiative, voted against the motion to decline to state an official city position on the measure.

The three stated their opposition to the initiative last week, saying that it sets back transportation funding for projects that the council has supported in the past, and potentially can hamper Sound Transit's East Link light rail project.

"I think 1125 violates almost every legislative agenda we've ever had, most of our policy measures that we've brought forward, most of those adopted over the years on votes of 7 to nothing, occasionally not," Chelminiak said Monday. "But it comes down to on this particular issue, silence is deafening."

Deputy Mayor Conrad Lee, Mayor Don Davidson, and council members Jennifer Robertson and Kevin Wallace all voted that the city not take a position.

Lee reiterated his words last week that the voters could make up their own minds on the issue.

Robertson stated that she is personally against the initiative, but that the issue is too divisive for the city to take an official position.

"I don't think it makes a lot of sense for us to take an advisory vote when it's going to be this divisive," she said.

"I'm very concerned about this initiative," she added. "I have very big concerns about 1125 and what it will do to our transportation system." 

Other municipalities recently have taken positions against 1125, including , the city of Renton, which passed it unanimously, and the Port of Seattle. Others who have taken positions against 1125 include the , the Bellevue Downtown Association and Bellevue resident, state Attorney General Rob McKenna, who is also running for governor in 2012.

The Yes on 1125 campaign does not list endorsements, but among the major donors is Bellevue developer Kemper Freeman, developer of the Bellevue Collection, who donated more than $1 million toward the initiative campaign. Other endorsements include initiative sponsor Tim Eyman and the Washington State Republican Party.