After a dispute over light rail funding at the Tuesday, March 11 C-Tran Board of Directors meetings, the Clark County Council decided to oust light rail opponent Michelle Belkot from the C-Tran board and replace her position with Wil Fuentes, a proponent of light rail.
The dispute focuses on the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project’s proposed Trimet light rail extension to downtown Vancouver, less than a mile into the city.
In a previous Community Focus article by The Reflector, the prevailing opinion of residents was a “no” to the light rail idea. Belkot proposed an action item in January regarding language on how C-Tran would partake in the funding for operations and maintenance. Her action item goes in line with how a multitude of Clark County residents feel. The motion would return the language that C-Tran would not pay for light rail operations and maintenance on the line heading into Vancouver.
The C-Tran board is made up of two Clark County councilmembers, three Vancouver City councilmembers and a representative for the smaller jurisdictions, including one for Ridgefield, La Center and Yacolt combined.
Since January, the Battle Ground City Council and the Camas City Council voted to oppose light rail altogether. During the March 11 meeting, the Washougal and Ridgefield members of the C-Tran board said they have been directed to join Battle Ground and Camas in voting “yes” on Belkot’s January motion.
The Vancouver members, which include Mayor Anne McEnery-Ogle, intended to vote “no.” The second Clark County board member, County Chair Sue Marshall, said that the council had voted 4-1 to have C-Tran continue the language of “may” assist in light rail operations and maintenance costs as a part of the IBR project.
A yes vote from Belkot, splitting the Clark County Council, would have passed the motion 5-4 on March 11, compared to a 4-5 vote that would have denied Belkot’s motion if she were to align with the county council majority decision.
“The county didn’t make a decision unanimously,” Belkot said during the March 11 C-Tran Board meeting. “We all had varied opinions, but they decided to let the C-Tran Board work it out.”
Marshall instantly disagreed with Belkot at the March 11 meeting.
“I have a different recollection than that,” Marshall said. “... Where we landed was to — and it was a 4-1 vote — was to retain the permissive language of ‘may.’ There were concerns about C-Tran getting sucked into a void of payments. But we believe that the permissive language allows us to have some negotiating power.”
Belkot, the one vote against the language, said she consulted with the legal team and that she would have her own vote on the C-Tran Board.
“There’s nothing in our bylaws. I consulted with our legal team, so I can have my own individual vote. We did not agree to go collectively as a council, and I double-checked on that,” Belkot said in the direction of Marshall.
The two then argued on the direction that the county council provided its two representatives of the C-Tran Board.
“Chair, I move to table this motion,” Marshall said, leading to a 6-3 vote to table the motion for a later vote.
During a Wednesday, March 12, Clark County Council meeting, Councilor Wil Fuentes moved to remove Belkot from the C-Tran Board and the motion passed. Belkot was the only no.
Fuentes was then appointed as the replacement. Belkot’s tabled motion will make a reappearance for a vote at the April 15 C-Tran Board meeting.
Belkot did not respond to a request for comment regarding the C-Tran Board meeting and her removal from the board by fellow Clark County Council members.
