Tacoma City Business Sneak Peak - Week of March 19, 2012

Nonprofit Ticket Tax
The proposed changes to the nonprofit ticket tax exemption are up for a final reading tonight. We heard extensive public comment at last week’s City Council meeting on the impact the changes would have on affected organizations. As we left it last week, the ordinance repealed the tax exemption for nonprofits with annual earnings of more than $300,000 or assets in excess of $50,000,000. The changes have been in the works since December, when the original proposal was postponed pending conversations with the nonprofit arts community.

Sales Tax Increase
The proposed 0.01% sales tax increase proposed to fund mental health services in Tacoma is also up for a final reading this week. Public comment at last week’s City Council meeting was largely supportive. The idea of this tax has also been in the budget-fixing conversation since December, despite what you may have read elsewhere. We’ll see how the conversation goes this week.

Ahead of Schedule
Pacific Avenue, which has been closed for Sound Transit’s D·to·M Streets project is scheduled to reopen today, March 19th, two and a half months ahead of schedule. “Ahead of schedule” – those are three little words we like to hear. Almost as much as we like to hear “under budget.” Although Pac Ave will re-open, traffic will “continue to be impacted” as the project wraps up in the next few months.

Mark Your Calendar
Tuesday, April 3, 2012 will be the date for a public hearing to consider amending the Six-Year Comprehensive Transportation Program for amended year 2011 and 2012 – 2017, to include the Puyallup Avenue Multimodal Improvement project.

Stadium Way Bids – Take 2
We read in last week’s City Manager’s report that all nine bids received for work on the Stadium Way Arterial Improvement Project came in at amounts over available funds, and so were rejected. The City is looking at ways to “value-engineer” the project, which will be re-advertised later this month with a revised bid structure.