Bainbridge city councilmembers will get an update at their meeting Tuesday on impacts to the city’s budget due to the passage of Initiative 976, the “$30 car tab” measure.

The talk will include putting off road repairs on the island due to loss of approximately $47,000 in December 2019 and $600,000 in 2020 due to voters’ approval of I-976.

I-976 passed on Election Day, with nearly 53 percent of voters statewide approving the measure.

In Kitsap County, voters said “yes” to I-976 by 50.8 percent. The initiative was rejected in only six counties; King, Jefferson, Thurston, Whatcom, Island and San Juan.

At the Bainbridge council’s meeting this week, officials will discuss both the short- and long-term options for funding the city’s annual roads programs, as well as traffic-calming improvements and climate change mitigation projects.

Though I-976 mandates $30 car tabs, it also takes away the authority for governments across the state to set up Transportation Benefit Districts (TBDs) to impose fees.

Bainbridge Island, along other cities and counties, set up a TBD to increase car tab fees, with those funds going to city transportation projects.

Bainbridge officials said that once the initiative takes effect Dec. 5, the city will no longer be able to collect close to $600,000 annually from the vehicle license fee Bainbridge has established.

“As we have been sharing with the community, the city currently uses car-tab fee revenue to support roughly 60 percent of our annual road preservation program,” said City Manager Morgan Smith. “While we remain committed to keeping the island’s road network safe and well-maintained, the passage of I-976 will require us to seek new options for how this will happen going forward.”

“We are also planning to provide council with a short briefing to identify impacts to our current budget, and what decisions may be needed in the next few months and beyond,” Smith said.

Options under consideration by the city include:

• Reducing the amount of road maintenance activities;

• Looking for new revenue sources to replace the TBD car tab revenue; and

• Shifting city funds from other programs and services to fund roadwork.

The Bainbridge council meets this week at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12 at city hall.