The Oregon Department of Transportation wants input from officials in Southwest Washington for its plan to pursue “value pricing” or tolls on Interstate 5 and Interstate 205. But the department is still working out who will represent Clark County.
Over the summer, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed into law a $5.3 billion transportation bill that directed a state commission to ask for federal approval to install tolls on I-5 and I-205. The proposal drew ire from residents and officials in Southwest Washington who rely on the interstate bridges to get to work in Oregon.
ODOT responded by inviting three officials from Southwest Washington to sit on its 24-member Portland Region Value Pricing Policy Advisory Committee, which will provide guidance on the department’s plan to implement tolls.
ODOT intends to upgrade the status of Kris Strickler, Washington State Department of Transportation’s Southwest regional administrator, to a full voting member of the committee.
Last week, the Vancouver City Council voted to recommend that Mayor Pro Tem and mayoral candidate Anne McEnerny-Ogle be appointed to the committee.
ODOT also invited Clark County council Chair Marc Boldt to join the committee.
“I told them right from the start that I’m trying to hire a county manager, that’s my No. 1 thing, and I just don’t have time for this,” said Boldt. “And quite frankly, I don’t even want to get near tolls.”
At a meeting in September, Boldt brought up ODOT’s invitation and told the county council he didn’t want to serve on the committee and joked that it would give him “cooties.” Councilor Eileen Quiring, a vocal opponent of tolls who previously served as a Republican in the Oregon Legislature, volunteered to take Boldt’s place on the committee.
When asked about the appointment, ODOT spokesman Don Hamilton initially said that it was up to department Director Matthew Garrett to make appointments to the committee and not the Clark County council. He said that ODOT wanted to appoint Boldt, who represents the entire county.
“We never expressed that we didn’t want her on the committee,” added Hamilton.
In a lengthy text message, Quiring, who represents a predominantly rural district, wrote that it’s “completely bogus” that ODOT wanted Boldt on the committee over a councilor who represents a particular district. She wrote that she’s sure her opinions on value pricing are in line with the rest of the county.
She also wrote that she was elected to her position with a wide margin and that she takes the entire county into account when making decisions.
Now, Hamilton said, ODOT is willing to work with Clark County on who serves on the committee.
“It’s not a big deal,” said Hamilton. “This is all going to be resolved painlessly and without difficulty, and if (Boldt’s) not comfortable (serving on the committee) we’ll talk to him about that.”
He added that the committee’s first meeting is five weeks out.
“We thought he had accepted, but we will get this straightened out,” said Hamilton.
Boldt said that he hopes he gets word soon that Quiring will be appointed to the committee.
He also said that the conversation the committee will be having should be happening between state legislators from Oregon and Washington. But he said that federal and state legislators typically don’t have “enough guts” to come together and talk.
“So they put all of us local people in, and we beat each other up and they take the outcome,” Boldt said. “And I don’t want a part of it.”
