 |
City of Seattle
Seattle City Council
|
NEWS ADVISORY
|
| SUBJECT: City Council Sends I-83 To November Ballot
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
9/16/2004 11:46:00 AM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nancy Roberts (206) 684-8146
|
CITY COUNCIL SENDS I-83 TO NOVEMBER BALLOT
SEATTLE -Complying with yesterday's State Supreme Court ruling, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a Resolution this morning rejecting Initiative 83 (the monorail recall initiative) and ordering it to be submitted to the voters in the statewide general election on November 2nd. Putting this measure on the King County ballot will cost the City of Seattle close to $900,000.
Councilmember Jan Drago, Council president and co-chair of the Monorail Committee, said, "I don't want to be a member of another generation that fails to provide this growing city and region with an appropriate transit system. I register my vote today with deep regret and I hope Seattle citizens spend a good deal of time looking at the future of this region before they cast their vote in November."
Councilmember Nick Licata, co-chair of the Monorail Committee, said," I believe in real solutions to mass transit, but that's not what's before us today. Today, we're not here to put any judgment on the monorail. We're here to address I-83. The courts have thrown it to us and now we place it on the ballot. Meanwhile, we'll watch both sides of the issue spend large sums of money to try and convince the public they're right-for the fourth time."
Councilmember Jim Compton was first to speak this morning saying, "There was good reason why we waited to the last possible day to act on this initiative, it was simply not for us to jam this on the ballot under popular pressure. We've had vigorous, sometimes painful debate on this issue. The law now says we must put it on the ballot and we do so."
Councilmember Richard Conlin followed Compton: "This vote isn't about the merits of the project or even about I-83. It is about the integrity of the Initiative process. Today the Council stands together, united in our affirmation of the democratic process."
Councilmember Jean Godden said, "Seattle needs a transportation choice, this monorail project is the right choice and ultimately, I believe voters will come to that conclusion."
-30-
City Council
| 
