Nov 13, 2019 | Vol. 14 | No. 46
|
 Thrift Shop Anniversary Sale Success
 |
|
|
Volunteers prepping; click to visit
the Thrift Shop website |
Monday's 44th Anniversary Holiday Sale at the City's Thrift Shop was a big success, and staff would like to thank everyone who came out in support of this fundraising event. Totals are still being tallied, but preliminary results indicate that approximately 750 customers boosted sales by 35% compared to last year, reaching almost $40,000.
The City is very grateful to everyone who made this day possible, including dozens of dedicated volunteers who spent hours on Sunday helping transform the shop into an event space, and all those who staffed the shop on Monday (Veterans Day), serving refreshments and helping with operations.
There were also many helpful supporters who spread the word through social media and word-of-mouth, building awareness and leading to a line of eager shoppers snaking around the building before opening!
|
Impacts of Initiative 976
|
|
|
Click for more information on the City's Transportation Benefit District
|
Results from the November 5 General Election indicate that Initiative 976 failed in King County and Mercer Island, but passed statewide by 53%. Passage of the measure will cut hundreds of millions of
dollars from transportation budgets across Washington State by reducing annual car tab fees to $30 per vehicle.
Many local governments, including the City of Mercer Island beginning in 2015, use Transportation Benefits Districts (
TBD) to fund local projects with an additional fee on car tabs. Mercer Island's fee of $20 per vehicle generates approximately
$375,000 in annual supplementary revenue in its Street Fund, used for maintenance, improvement, and preservation of existing transportation facilities or programs. This amount represents 12% of the City's entire transportation budget.
Specific projects and services include street right-of-way maintenance and operations, portions of arterial street improvements in Town Center and elsewhere completed under the City's Transportation Improvement Program, and the heavily-used Metro Transit direct commuter shuttle to Seattle (Route 630).
At its
January 7, 2020 Meeting, the Mercer Island City Council will be discussing the expected local impacts of I-976 on City operations and how to
reprioritize, delay, or cancel certain capital projects.
|
New Threshold for Property Tax Relief
|
|
|
Click to learn more about tax relief
|
State law provides two tax benefit programs for senior citizens and the disabled: property tax exemptions and property tax deferrals, yet very few of those who are eligible are currently enrolled.
The State Legislature recently made major changes in the program, effective in 2020, that will allow more people to apply for benefits.
Most importantly, the annual income limit is now indexed to 65% of the median household income in King County (equating to $58,423) rather than being set at a fixed amount ($40,000) as it was in the past.
Applications will be available in January 2020. To learn more about eligibility, or to be added to a notification mailing list, please visit the King County Assessor's website.
|
Special Farmers Market, Nov 24
|
|
|
Click for more MIFM Harvest Market information
|
Dozens of the most popular farmers and vendors will return bright and early next Sunday, November 24, for one last Mercer Island Farmers Market (MIFM) of the season, designed to help the community prepare for Thanksgiving and the holidays.
At this special Harvest Market, from 10:00am to 3:00pm, local artists with handmade products will join the usual array of farmers, ready-to-eat healthy food vendors, and artisanal food product vendors.
Interested Islanders can also follow MIFM on
Facebook to read current news about vendors and products.
|
Getting Ready for Winter Storms
|
|
|
Click for more info from the City's Emergency Management program
|
It has been a mild season for storms so far, but as winter once again approaches, Mercer Island will likely see more lowland snow events, windstorms, downed trees, heavy rains and even landslides...
The City's Emergency Management program advises all residents to take standard precautions for winter events, such as:
- Prepare to be without power
- Set aside non-perishable food and water for three days
- Plan for the loss of landline phone service and internet connectivity
- Keep cellphones charged and buy a battery backup
- Locate flashlights and spare batteries
- Prepare for winter driving (view City snowplow routes )
- Know your neighbors and check on the elderly or infirm
- Sign up for City alerts
When the power goes out, check the online outage map at Puget Sound Energy's (PSE) website, or call their outage hotline at 1 (888) 225-5773 for more information. These are the sources for the most up-to-date information.
And remember, if you see a problem like blocked roads, flooding, or fallen trees, report it to our regional dispatch call center which is open 24 hours/day, seven days a week:
(425) 577-5656
|
|
