The outcry over higher car tab taxes to pay for light rail on Thursday led Sound Transit's board to consider other options for collecting that revenue, but even the board chair acknowledged he wasn't sure what those options might be.
Some car owners are upset by higher vehicle licensing bills, after voters passed the $54 billion Sound Transit 3 expansion in November.
The valuation system Sound Transit uses has been in place since voters passed the first light rail measure in 1996.
It doesn't depreciate the value of cars nearly as fast as the Kelley Blue Book calculation, or even an alternative system developed by the state in 2006.
Sound Transit expects to move to that newer state system in 2028, once the first motor vehicle excise tax expires from the 1996 ballot measure.
In the meantime, the agency has planned to stick with the current valuation process, which it says values 60 percent of vehicles in the taxing district at $10,000 or less.
Republicans in the state Senate are trying to block Sound Transit from receiving any car tab revenue unless it changes to the 2006 system right away, a move the agency says would cost it $6 billion.
Two billion dollars of the loss would be in direct revenue and $4 billion in higher debt service costs.
Agency CEO Peter Rogoff said the current car tab calculation was key in negotiating low interest rates for ST3 bonds, a move he says saves taxpayers money.
Snohomish County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair Dave Somers said the impact of switching valuation systems immediately could be significant.
"Projects would be lost, schedules would be shot, so that really isn't an option," said Somers.
Still, Somers introduced a resolution that directs staff members to consider all options to address the car tab controversy with the state Legislature.
KIRO 7's Graham Johnson asked Somers what those options might be.
"Frankly, I don't know," Somers replied. "And the proposal today is to have the staff look at what options do we have."
A Sound Transit analysis shows that under the 2006 state valuation process, owners of newer vehicles would save money on car tabs.
But owners of vehicles 11 years or older would pay more.
On Thursday, Sound Transit's CEO provided examples of how car tab rates have changed after the new ST3 car tab taxes kicked in March 1.
A 2016 Toyota Camry with a tax of $79 last year has a tax of $275 this year. A 2006 Honda Civic with a tax of $14 last year has a tax of $36 this year.