Instead, the council recommended bumping the sales tax to 8.8 percent for bus service only. Sound Transit advocates say they'll have to turn back to the state for more funds. Now, Seattle's homeless advocates are grumbling because they're afraid the city isn't cashing in on the free money. The grant stipulates that the Gates money can only fund up to 20 percent of a project. The city has to cover the other 80 percent.
City officials are uncertain about where they'll get the remainder.
According to elections superintendent Julie Anne Kempf, I-53 advocates were roughly 2,100 signatures shy of the required 18,800 signatures. I-53 is still about 500 signatures shy. The news did not please monorail activist Peter Sherwin, who accuses Kempf of misleading him on how the count was really going. Kempf denies this charge. Monorail advocates are running low on time.