House Bill 2143 would repeal the provision allowing WSDOT to withhold funding when board membership is not allocated strictly by population
Rep. John Ley has introduced legislation aimed at resolving an ongoing dispute between the city of Vancouver and smaller Clark County cities over representation on the C-TRAN Board of Directors.
The conflict stems from a state requirement that transit agency boards be allocated proportionally by population, or risk having funding withheld by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). State law also prohibits any single city from holding more than half of a board’s seats to prevent one jurisdiction from dominating decision-making.
“For most of C-TRAN’s history, the Board’s power was evenly divided, with three seats each for the small cities, Clark County, and the City of Vancouver,” said Ley, R-Vancouver. “That structure ensured smaller cities had an equal voice at the table.”
“However, recent changes to this balance have disrupted the community. That could force residents of smaller cities to help fund a light rail extension tied to the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, which would primarily benefit a small number of people in downtown Vancouver.”
House Bill 2143 would repeal the provision allowing WSDOT to withhold funding when board membership is not allocated strictly by population. The bill would also cap representation for Clark County and the City of Vancouver at three seats each, preserving seats for smaller cities rather than assigning them solely by population.
“The elected leaders of our small cities have taken a firm stand on this issue at the C-TRAN Board level,” noted Ley. “My bill would protect their voice, ensuring those small communities are heard, and their influence remains at a level that has served the community well for nearly 40 years.”
The 2026 legislative session begins on Monday, Jan. 12.
Information provided by the Washington State House Republicans, houserepublicans.wa.gov
Also read:
- Opinion: ‘If they want light rail, they should be the ones who pay for it’
Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance argues that supporters of light rail tied to the I-5 Bridge replacement should bear the local cost of operating and maintaining the system through a narrowly drawn sub-district. - Opinion: IBR falsely blaming inflation
Joe Cortright argues that inflation explains only a small portion of the IBR project’s cost increases and that rising consultant and staff expenses are the primary drivers. - Letter: The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program’s $141 million bribe can be better spent on sandwich steel-concrete tubes
Bob Ortblad argues that an immersed tunnel using sandwich steel-concrete tubes would be a more cost-effective alternative to the current Interstate Bridge Replacement Program design. - A sub-district vote could be a way to go to pay O&M costs associated with light rail
Clark County Council members heard details on how a voter-approved C-TRAN sub-district could be created to fund long-term operations and maintenance costs for light rail tied to a new Interstate Bridge. - Letter: British Columbia’s new immersed tunnel can solve Interstate Bridge Replacement Program’s $17.7 billion problem
Bob Ortblad argues that an immersed tunnel similar to a project underway in British Columbia could significantly reduce costs and impacts associated with the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program.
I won’t hold my breath waiting for the first Democrat-Socialist in Olympia to sign on to this.