Small cities in Clark County secured new protections Tuesday, March 10, after the C-Tran Board Composition Review Committee and the C-Tran Board of Directors approved changes that prevent existing local transit taxes from being used to fund operations and maintenance costs tied to future light rail on the Interstate Bridge replacement.
The actions also move the agency back into compliance with state expectations on board representation and could help resolve legal disputes tied to the board’s makeup.
“I think what we got ultimately was a great solution for all,” Ridgefield Mayor Matt Cole said following the meeting. “It was the intent all along. Ridgefield had what we call a three-legged stool approach, which meant we had to make sure that the bridge project kept moving forward, that any funding for light rail came from new money and that we kept C-Tran together and for a while there. I'll be honest, I think all three of those things have been kind of up in the air.”
Under the motions approved last week, the board composition will return to a 4-3-2 structure, with four seats for the City of Vancouver, three for Clark County and two shared among the small cities of Battle Ground, Camas, La Center, Ridgefield, Washougal and Yacolt. The board has shared equal representation among the three groups since September, following an 8-3 vote that established the 3-3-3 structure.
At the same time, the C-Tran Board of Directors amended language in the agency’s Modified Locally Preferred Alternative to specify that any participation in funding operations and maintenance for bi-state transit, including light rail associated with the Interstate Bridge replacement, cannot use sales tax revenues previously approved by voters outside Vancouver city limits or the Vancouver Urban Growth Area.
The change effectively shields taxpayers in Clark County’s smaller cities from covering long-term operating costs for light rail.
C-Tran may still participate in operations and maintenance funding for bi-state transit under the policy. As of October, projections estimated those costs at roughly $10.3 million annually. While that estimate is significantly lower than earlier projections due to a revised service model requiring fewer trains and express buses, officials have acknowledged the total could increase over time.
For leaders in smaller cities, the potential obligation to help fund light rail operations had been a central concern for more than a year.
Battle Ground’s city council adopted a resolution opposing light rail in March 2025, citing financial concerns, and the Camas City Council issued a similar resolution the month before. Both cities argued that taxpayers in communities farther from the Interstate Bridge would see little direct benefit from the service while still potentially contributing to its costs.
“Battle Ground is in support of this,” Battle Ground Mayor Eric Overholser said during the Tuesday meeting. “We don’t want to be a hindrance or get in the way of a bridge replacement. And if light rail needs to be funded by C-Tran, I agree that it should be new money, not the existing funding we know C-Tran needs to … operate at their current operations level.”
The compromise also follows months of tension over board representation. In September, the C-Tran board voted to adopt a 3-3-3 structure that gave equal representation to Vancouver, Clark County and the region’s small cities. The move drew warnings from the Washington state Department of Transportation (WSDOT) that the agency could lose access to state grant funding because the structure did not reflect population distribution. A Thurston County judge temporarily blocked the WSDOT from enforcing an Oct. 1, 2025, deadline that could have cut off millions in grant funding for C-Tran.
Returning to the 4-3-2 structure satisfies state expectations while preserving protections for smaller cities through the funding language added to the transit plan. Cole said the compromise required concessions from multiple parties but ultimately preserved both regional cooperation and financial safeguards.
“The other night we passed a clean 4-3-2 that was necessary for it to comply with the state regulations,” Cole said. “We were told that you couldn't attach a condition to the motion, so we worked it through the C-Tran board to add an amendment to the locally preferred alternative language, which basically protects the small cities from obligating them to long term financial impacts of light rail or (the) cost of O&M.”
Officials from smaller cities say the outcome ensures they can remain part of the regional transit system while maintaining protections for local taxpayers. La Center City Councilmember Sean Boyle, who represents the City of La Center, said last Tuesday’s outcome was the best option small cities were given.
“We went to the state a couple of different times to try and come up with a more equitable solution for small cities, and it was rejected, so we didn't have a whole lot of choice when it came to deciding what the board composition was gonna be,” he said.
Boyle added that the agreement balances regional transit participation with voter intent on taxes.
“It's protecting what I think the majority of the bases of Clark County have been voting for since at least 2016, and I am happy,” Boyle said. “I think that's a win for all the small communities. I know there are a lot of people who feel very strongly about participating in any more costs that are gonna serve light rail.”
Cole said the agreement also keeps the broader Interstate Bridge replacement project moving forward while preventing new costs from being imposed without voter approval.
“I think we hit our goal, we kept things in line there and really it was about making sure that there was equitable solutions for all riders of Clark County, and that people were not obligated to a tax or funding that they didn't sign up for,” Cole said. “Ultimately, I think we're on a great path.”
