Business View Magazine | April 2020

168 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 NSIT V alley Transit is a municipal corporation that provides public transit services in Walla Walla County, Washington. It was established in 1979 as a PTBA (Public Transit Benefit Area), encompassing the two school districts in the neighboring cities of College Place and Walla Walla. In 1980, a 0.3 percent sales tax was approved by voters to fund the system, which was matched by the State’s Motor Vehicle Excise Tax (MVET), allowing Valley Transit to begin operations in 1981. In 2000, Initiative 695 repealed the MVET and cut funding for Valley Transit by roughly 53 percent of its operational funding at that time. However, it continued to operate with minimal service cuts for another nine years despite this loss. In 2009, lost MVET funding, paired with a rapid downturn in the economy, led Valley Transit to the choice between cutting services or pursuing additional funding. It chose to pursue a ballot measure for an additional 0.3 percent in sales tax funding, which was approved by the public by a margin of 76 percent, bringing Valley Transit back to its original funding level. This remains the highest approval rating for any local transit funding tax in the state of Washington. AT A GLANCE VALLEY TRANSIT WHAT: A municipal transportation corporation WHERE: Walla Walla County, Washington WEBSITE: www.valleytransit.com Efficient public transportation