{"id":896076,"date":"2026-04-23T01:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heraldnet.com\/2026\/04\/23\/letter-a-possible-transit-merger-should-be-on-a-ballot\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T11:47:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T18:47:54","slug":"letter-a-possible-transit-merger-should-be-on-a-ballot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heraldnet.com\/2026\/04\/23\/letter-a-possible-transit-merger-should-be-on-a-ballot\/","title":{"rendered":"Letter: A possible transit merger should be on a ballot"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are ongoing discussions about potentially consolidating Everett Transit into Community <\/a>Transit<\/a>, and many residents may not realize this decision could be made without a public vote.<\/p>\n

In the past, changes of this scale typically required a vote of the people. Under current state law, however, City Council can approve annexation into a regional transit system without going to the voters, even though they still have the option to put it on the ballot. A decision that affects taxes, fares, and access to essential services should not be made without direct voter input.<\/p>\n

Cost is a major concern. Everett residents currently pay about 0.6% in sales tax for Everett Transit, while Community Transit operates at roughly 1.2%. Fares are also higher, including for seniors and people with disabilities, who would see costs more than double per ride.<\/p>\n

Beyond cost, there is a difference in service. Everett Transit is a locally run system that responds directly to community needs, from emergency shuttles during road closures to supporting residents displaced by fires or disasters. These community-driven responses are possible because the system is city-operated and focused on Everett.<\/p>\n

Everett Transit also provides broader access to paratransit, including for seniors without qualifying disabilities when transit is their only option.<\/p>\n

If this decision will impact what residents pay and how they access essential services, then Everett residents deserve the right to vote on it.<\/p>\n

Kara Chapman<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everett<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are ongoing discussions about potentially consolidating Everett Transit into Community <\/a>Transit<\/a>, and many residents may not realize this decision could be made without a public vote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3361,"featured_media":896077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1020,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-896076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-letters","category-opinion"],"acf":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/heraldnet.com\/2026\/04\/23\/letter-a-possible-transit-merger-should-be-on-a-ballot\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Letter: A possible transit merger should be on a ballot","url":"http:\/\/www.heraldnet.com\/2026\/04\/23\/letter-a-possible-transit-merger-should-be-on-a-ballot\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.heraldnet.com\/2026\/04\/23\/letter-a-possible-transit-merger-should-be-on-a-ballot\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.heraldnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/41918313_web1_260317-ADW-Letter_1.jpeg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.heraldnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/41918313_web1_260317-ADW-Letter_1.jpeg"},"articleSection":"Letters","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"none"}],"creator":["none"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"HeraldNet.com","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2026-04-23T08:30:00Z","datePublished":"2026-04-23T08:30:00Z","dateModified":"2026-04-23T18:47:54Z"},"rendered":"