Proposed ‘Mosquito Fleet Act’ to face its highest hurdle Monday

Sunday, March 16, 2025
by Jeff Noedel

If it passes, the “Mosquito Fleet Act,” which began as House Bill 1923 in Olympia, would be the legislation that could increase the odds of someday enjoying locally-run passenger ferry service direct to Bellingham from the San Juans…and many other novel walk-on ferry routes across the Salish Sea and Puget Sound.

HB 1923 author State Rep. Greg Nance (D-23, Bainbridge Island) wants to put local communities in a position to start such services with local tax dollars, on the condition that local voters approve of a sales tax up to 0.3% (up to 3/10th of a percent) dedicated to a walk-on ferry service.

If HB 1923 passes the legislature and is signed by the governor, and if the San Juan County Council wanted to put a vote before the San Juan County voters, the council would likely be proposing the creation of a publicly-run “passenger-only ferry service district” (POFSD).

Presently Kitsap County has a POFSD, and it is branded “Kistsap Fast Ferries.” Kitsap Fast Ferries was specifically allowed to be a POFSD by a special “carve out” by the state legislature. If HB 1923 becomes law, the power to create a POFSD would be widened to include all communities bordering Puget Sound, as well as Gray’s Harbor, WA.

The power of a POFSD to submit a proposed sales tax up to 0.3% to its voters is spelled out in existing law RCW 82.14.445.

In San Juan County, a 0.3% sales tax — if approved by voters — would generate approximately $2.6 million per year for local passenger-only ferry service. Fares paid by riders, as well as state and federal grants would provide additional revenue.

In addition to the local tax dollars and fares, a publicly-run San Juan County POFSD could also apply for state and federal grants. The County could explore a concept in which everyone pays the sales tax, but non-resident visitors pay a fare and residents ride fare-free.

And if the County Council didn’t want to start the process, the bill — if passed — would allow one of the following entities to consult voters in creating a POFSD:

• a public transportation benefit area (there are 21 in Washington)
• a county (public) transportation authority (there are 3 in Washington)
• a metropolitan municipal corporation
• an unincorporated transportation benefit area, or
• a regional transit authority (only one exists: Sound Transit)

King County has operated passenger-only ferry service for decades, connecting West Seattle and Vashon to downtown Seattle. King County was a special case. Their fast ferry service is supported with King County property tax dollars and is now the Marine Division of King County Metro Transit.

Passenger-only “fast ferries” that deliver riders into and out of downtown Seattle have been a smash hit for residents of West Seattle, Vashon Island, Bremerton, and indeed all of Kitsap County. Those services were willed into existence by local voters, and by large, well-heeled metropolitan transit agencies. The State of Washington has helped with grants.

The cash part of HB 1923 (Nance was initially proposing $25 million per year) had to be stripped out of the bill in order to get it to clear its first hurdle: the House Transportation Committee. Once the State money was removed from the bill, it passed with bipartisan support in committee and in the full House.

Some people started to pay less attention to HB 1923 after the State money was removed earlier in the legislative session. But others are still bullish on HB 1923 as it comes up Monday afternoon for a make-or-break hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee. Supporters feel signing the bill into law would meld the idea of a “new Mosquito Fleet” into State policy, and funding could be folded in later, when the State is not struggling with a multi-billion-dollar budget crisis.

Nance told SanJuans.Today Sunday afternoon, “HB 1923 authorizes passenger-only ferry service districts outside of King and Kitsap, which is the key first step to future state support. We wish there was more (funding) directly in the bill, but budget writers can include that later, once we have statutory authority to operate.”

During a news conference last week, Governor Bob Ferguson seemed to imply he would be open to discussing state funding of Nance’s idea in the future.

To read details of HB 1923, click here.

To request time to testify in favor or opposition to the bill (in person, remotely (Zoom), or in writing), click here. Testimony registration closes 1 hour before the start time of the meeting (the meeting is scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. Monday, March 17, 2025.)

And if you don’t want to testify, but do want legislators to know your opinion (pro or con) you can register your support or opposition here. Said Rep. Nance, “Grass roots (feedback) moves the needle more than folks realize.”

CORRECTION: This article now correctly refers to the potential sales tax rate as: up to 0.3% (3/10ths of a percent). A previous version incorrectly stated .03%. We apologize for the error.