A new WSDOT study outlines the estimated return on transportation projects for every dollar contributed by people within each county. Transportation taxes mostly consist of the 38-cent state and federal gas tax, but also taxes from bonded projects, licensing and ferry fees.
Garfield County residents see the most return for their money at $3.69 on the dollar. Franklin County has the least return with a 52-cent return in transportation projects for every $1 in taxes. In King County, residents see a $1.01 return on their $1 investment. Spokane County only sees $0.78 return.
Elected officials in some counties, like Snohomish, are not happy, saying the return is not fair as the county contributes an above-average amount to the overall state’s economy due to Boeing and other aerospace companies being located there.
The 2015 results from this study, done every two years, are at this link. Here’s the full list of how much each county gets back for its transportation dollar:
- Garfield: $3.69
- Lincoln: $3.13
- Ferry: $2.85
- San Juan: $2.63
- Jefferson: $2.58
- Adams: $2.25
- Pacific: $2.18
- Wahkiakum: $2.15
- Columbia: $2.08
- Pend Orielle: $1.66
- Kittitas: $1.66
- Skagit: $1.64
- Grays Harbor: $1.54
- Klickitat: $1.42
- Skamania: $1.37
- Douglas: $1.32
- Lewis: $1.30
- Whitman: $1.25
- Walla Walla: $1.09
- King: $1.01
- Okanogan: $1.01
- Whatcom: 99 cents
- Island: 96 cents
- Kitsap: 95 cents
- Cowlitz: 94 cents
- Chelan: 94 cents
- Snohomish: 92 cents
- Pierce: 92 cents
- Grant: 89 cents
- Thurston: 88 cents
- Clark: 88 cents
- Stevens: 79 cents
- Spokane: 78 cents
- Clallam: 70 cents
- Yakima: 69 cents
- Mason: 62 cents
- Benton: 60 cents
- Asotin: 56 cents
- Franklin: 52 cents