Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is not wasting any time announcing his agenda. Two weeks ago he proposed replacing Seattle's rotting seawall on an accelerated timetable and financing it with a property tax. That idea surprised the city council.
The agreement the city has with the state for replacement of the Alaskan Way viaduct, already includes replacement of the seawall. McGinn says it is better to fix it sooner rather than later. The estimated cost to taxpayers is about $48 on a home valued at $400,000.
The council voted 9-0 last fall to replace the viaduct with the a deep bore tunnel and councilmember Sally Bagshaw says she believes McGinn’s proposal is part of a plan to kill the tunnel project.
Although McGinn is a long-standing opponent of the tunnel, late in the campaign he pledged to carry out the project if elected. Now he opposes the project again because of a clause in the agreement with the state that makes the city responsible for all cost over-runs.
Polls show a majority of city residents agree with McGinn that the seawall should be replaced sooner rather than later, and the tunnel should not be built if the city is on the hook for cost over-runs.
So, what do you think. Is McGinn simply trying to kill the tunnel or is he the voice of reason, trying to fix what’s broken and not enter into unreasonable contracts?
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