Lawmakers consider allowing cities to add gas tax

The state has a gas tax and counties are allowed to add one. Now the Legislature is considering whether cities should be able to add one, too.

Counties currently have the ability to add a gas tax with approval from the voters. No county has ever done it.

The Senate Transportation Committee is considering extending that ability to all local governments, including cities. The tax could be as high as three cents a gallon. The money would go to local transportation projects.

Cities and counties couldn’t double-dip, so if both King County and Seattle wanted to raise their own gas taxes, the maximum it could go up would be a combined three cents.