• After a complete, thorough cost estimate and after funding resources and essential impacts have been identified, should county residents vote on light rail?
• Should county voters approve the project before any federal, state, local or private dollars are used for light-rail construction?

“Quite simply, we are confused over the entire Columbia River Crossing proposal,” Felton said, referring to the proposed package of bridge, highway and transit improvements. “And we aren’t sure where to turn for support, so that’s why we are coming to you.”

Robert Nichols, a Barberton Republican who is running for county commissioner, said C-Tran is having “great success” with Express buses to downtown Portland, but light rail would lengthen commute times.

“If you get off the bus and try light rail, you may decide to drive,” Nichols said. “I know people in Portland who have done that.”

Several other speakers urged commissioners to place an advisory measure or measures before voters, but commissioners didn’t make any commitments during Tuesday’s meeting.

Afterward, two commissioners, Marc Boldt and Steve Stuart, said they thought there should be a public vote, but each expressed some reservations.

“Yes, I’m interested in it,” Boldt said, adding that he wouldn’t want the commissioners’ decision to set a precedent and residents to expect advisory votes on other contentious issues.

Stuart said he doesn’t want to ask voters only if they want a future vote on light rail.

“I hate to ask a question when I already know the answer,” he said. “I want people to have a binding vote on whether or not to pay for light rail.”

Officials should be prepared to make their case to voters, Stuart said.

“I think it’s the height of arrogance for public officials to assume they know better and the public just can’t get it,” he said. “Man, if you’re going to reach this deep into someone’s pocket, you better ask first.”

Stuart believes that voters should have a say on bridge tolls, which could cost $1 to $2.50, depending on the time of day, and be assessed for both northbound and southbound crossings.

There also is a matter of timing. Six different local governments, three on each side of the Columbia River, will be asked to endorse a package of bridge, highway and transit improvements in July, a full month before the proposed advisory vote.

County commissioners also don’t have a direct say on that package. All three commissioners are members of C-Tran’s board of directors and could kill any decision to endorse the project by voting as a single bloc. The Vancouver City Council’s three representatives on the C-Tran board also have this bloc veto power.

But commissioners don’t appear ready to throw up that barrier. Commissioner Betty Sue Morris, during Tuesday’s meeting, reminded the audience of her Feb. 8 State of the County speech, when she said commissioners would not oppose a light-rail terminus at Clark College as long as it could be built without local construction dollars.

The Clark College board of trustees will discuss the project during a work session at 4 p.m. Monday and could formally adopt a resolution at a 5 p.m. meeting.

Crossing officials believe they can build a 2.65-mile light-rail extension, from the Expo Center in north Portland to the east side of Interstate 5 near Clark College, for less than $750 million.

The Federal Transit Administration could provide the money to pay for construction costs, including right of way, trains and transit stations. But the local community likely would have to provide some revenue to pay for operations and maintenance, because passenger fares are expected to cover less than one-quarter of those costs.

Two options have been discussed: C-Tran asking voters to approve a sales tax increase; or using a portion of toll revenue to subsidize transit operations.

Commissioners Morris and Stuart are decidedly cool to that second option.

“I personally will not support using tolls for operations,” Morris said. “I don’t mind the tolls, but the tolls ought to pay for roads.”

Nichols, after speaking to commissioners, said he worries that toll revenues will be tapped to circumvent a light-rail vote.

Anyone who wants to ride light rail only has to drive to the Expo Center, he said.

“We have it right over there,” Nichols said. “And the crime rate it brings is still over there.”