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    Image of people at a Levy open house prior to the vote
    On Nov. 8, 2016, Bellevue voters endorsed a 20-year transportation-focused Neighborhood Safety, Connectivity and Congestion levy (Proposition 2). The measure was approved by 54.13 percent of voters (31,407). The vote followed a public outreach effort that included three open houses in different parts of the city and discussion at several City Council meetings.

    Through a public process in early 2017, the City Council affirmed an initial list of projects funded by the levy as an amendment to the 2017-2023 Capital Investment Program (CIP) budget. Over 40 projects were selected in this initial process and by the end of 2018, many had been completed, with approximately $6.2 million in levy-funded investments. In September 2018, the City Council affirmed 40-plus new levy-funded projects expected to advance during the 2019-2020 time frame.

    Levy funding

    In 2017, the levy rate was about 15 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, or approximately $7.4 million total raised for the year. The rate and total amount can vary slightly from year to year, depending on the overall assessed value of property in Bellevue and growth due to new construction.

    Levy funding is identified in Bellevue’s Capital Investment Program Plan, or CIP. Projects are identified under two separate programs: PW-R-198 (Neighborhood Congestion Reduction Program) and PW-R-199 (Neighborhood Safety and Connectivity). The CIP is the city’s planning tool and funding strategy to study, design, build, improve and maintain transportation infrastructure, parks, utilities and other projects.