SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane voters are narrowly supporting Public Transportation Benefit Area Proposition 1, which is passing with 50.38% of votes as of Tuesday evening.
The measure is leading with 31,153 yes votes compared to 30,686 no votes. Election officials had counted 63,162 ballots with turnout at 20.54%.
Proposition 1 would renew an existing 0.2% sales tax for another 20 years. The total sales tax supporting STA would remain at 0.8%, equivalent to 8 cents on a $10 taxable purchase.
STA projects the renewed portion would generate approximately $942 million over 20 years to maintain existing transit services and fund additional improvements through 2035.
If approved, the 0.2% tax will remain in effect instead of expiring at the end of 2028. If it fails, the total sales tax will decrease from 0.8% to 0.6% beginning in 2029.
Opponents argued STA has sufficient funding without the renewal, pointing to the agency’s approximately $250 million reserve fund.
Results are preliminary, and additional ballots remain to be counted.
