Cashmere forms Transportation Benefit District to boost infrastructure funding

CASHMERE– In the hopes of expanding Cashmere's funding for transportation related projects and upkeep, the Cashmere City Council motioned to officially form a Transportation Benefit District (TBD). 

A TBD operates as an independent tax-collecting body, focused solely on easing a region's overall financial pressures by helping to raise money and pay for transit-related projects. With various costs like the bill for the Chelan County Jail continuing to rise and adding financial pressure to the city, the TBD is set to help keep funds directed towards crucial year-round transport maintenance.

TBDs accomplish this pressure-relieving fundraising by collecting specific taxes within their limits, in this case, Cashmere City limits. The newly formed Cashmere Transportation Board, headed by the City Council, plans to collect taxes through a district-wide sales tax, which aims to collect 0.1% of each dollar spent on taxable items in any purchase within City limits. 

The Cashmere Transportation Board’s first vice president, Jeff Johnson, further described the TBD’s benefits and focuses. 

“Right now, we have a general budget that we draw from,” Johnson explained, “and we’ve had certain costs that have gone way up. Chief among them is the jail. Our cost share for the jail services has gone up substantially, and that drains the general budget, then we have less money for other projects.” 

Named the Cashmere Transportation Board’s first President, Council Member John Perry expressed his optimism for the TBD's future and its positive effects on the community.

“We’re all looking forward to seeing how this progresses,” Perry mentioned, “because it's all new, it’ll be a learning experience for all of us. We just hope to help maintain Cashmere and keep those standards high for the infrastructure of the community.” 

With the TBD recently formed, the new Transportation Board has yet to take official action. However, the members of Cashmere City Council look forward to future board meetings and expanding the city’s currently lowering revenue intakes.

“Subsequent meetings will allow us to really dig in and see what, if any, sales tax might be recommended and voted upon by the entire board,” Johnson shared. “So all of those decisions are still to come, and we always welcome public comment from our residents. Our goal and our job is to speak on their behalf, and we recognize that need. So, feel free to come stop by and present your opinions on these issues, we are certainly excited to look and see how we can meet needs.” 

Cashmere City Council meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of each month at 101 Woodring Street, providing transparency and time for public comment.

To learn more about the Cashmere City Council and the newly formed Transportation Benefit District, visit cityofcashmere.org/government. 

Will Nilles: (509) 731-3211 or will@ward.media