The September 28th Sound Transit Board meeting video showed the board unanimously approving the following “Business Item”.
A. Resolution No. R2025-23: Amending the adopted 2025 budget to align with the internal reorganization by 1) decreasing the 2025 annual budget for the Administrative Project – Agency Admin Support by $66,621,831 from $147,117,488 to $80,495,657 and decreasing the authorized project allocation by $1,323,359,296 from $1,941,536,791 to $618,177,495; 2) Increasing the Transit Modes 2025 annual operating budget by $12,807,599 from $756,311,771to $769,119,370; 3) creating a new project for System Expansion Indirect Costs with a 2025 annual budget of $53,814,232 and an authorized project allocation of $1,323,359,296, all of which have a net neutral impact to the 2025 annual budget.–Recommended by the Finance and Audit Committee; requires a supermajority vote
The presentation to both the Finance and Audit Committee and Sound Transit Board included charts detailing the resultant changes to the 2025 budget. (It seemed rather late to be reducing the 2025 annual operating budget by $12.8 million.) Apparently it was the result of some recent “internal reorganization” to improve transparency. (The 2025 Adopted Budget & Financial Plan, Appendix C: Departments and Staffing included 1583 positions and a $960,324,000 budget)
The resolution’s result was $1,323 million was taken from authorized project allocation and $67 million from agency administration support budgets to create a new indirect cost budget for System Expansion projects. A chart showed the 2026 budget would "break out" Indirect costs for System Expansion and Service Delivery Projects.
Apparently neither Sound Transit’s Finance and Audit Committee or Sound Transit Board recognized diverting $1,323 million form authorized projects to whatever entails ”indirect costs for system expansion and service delivery” doesn’t improve “transparancy”. That the plan for reducing $66.6 million from Agency Admin Support assumes former administrators will be able to provide Indirect System Expansion and Delivery Support”
The bottom line is Sound Transit approval of Resolution No. R2025-23 will result in diverting money previously allocated to authorized projects and require former administrators to provide indirect support for system expansion and service delivery. We await the 2026 budget to detail what “indirect support for system expansion and delivery means”.
This is a drop in the bucket. In August, they were telling us that they needed $30 Billion, and now, two months later, they are now saying they need $35 Billion, so in two months, they are short $5 Billion more. And the increased 1% property tax will only bring in $183 Million. That is nothing. They need to shelve the West Seattle and Ballard extensions, that would save billions.
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