Seattle, King County To Sue Over Initiative 976

SEATTLE, WA — Seattle and King County will file a joint lawsuit, seeking an injunction to block implementation of Initiative 976, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Thursday afternoon. Citing "irreparable harm" to city transportation services and "potentially catastrophic" regional impacts, City Attorney Pete Holmes will formally file the litigation next week.

Wednesday's ballot drop showed Initiative 976 approved by voters statewide by a 10-point margin, while voters in King County were rejecting the measure by 13 percent.

In addition to implementing $30 car tabs for most vehicles, I-976 bars cities from charging additional car tab fees, without new voter approval, which is expected to have regional ramifications for road maintenance and public transit operations. King County Metro would face an approximately $36 million shortfall, threating bus service hours on 74 routes in Seattle, Burien, Shoreline, Skyway, Tukwila and White Center.

RELATED: Initiative 976 Passes, Washington Transit Agencies Brace For Cuts

City officials argue the measure is unconstitutional, overturning the will of Seattle voters who previously voted to approve additional car tab fees to help fund transit.

"I-976 is not only unfair, it is not only unwise, it is unconstitutional," Mayor Durkan said. "We respect the right of voters in other communities to decide what is best for their communities, but the state should not override the will of Seattle voters and tell us how to invest our tax dollars in our priorities."

"The Seattle Transportation Benefit District is a taxing authority that was granted to Seattle, and we believe we have a strong case in defending that," Durkan said.

Without an injunction, the Mayor warned millions of dollars could be cut in the long-term, impacting road maintenance like pothole repair, and leading to fewer bus hours for commuters. On Wednesday, Governor Jay Inslee ordered WSDOT to halt all planned projects that were not yet underway, while state officials work to determine the full scope of I-976's impact. The Office of Financial Management projected state and local governments could lose over $4 billion over the next six years.

I-976's sponsor, anti-tax activist Tim Eyman, spoke to local media, and sparred with transit advocates, outside the Thursday press conference, saying the lawsuit was a plot to overturn the will of the voters.