Members of the Bonney Lake City Council and city administration headed to Lakewood Monday night to make sure the Pierce Transit board heard their concerns regarding possible plans to raise taxes while cutting routes throughout east Pierce County.

Bonney Lake has joined with several other small cities from the area to register its complaints about the cuts, asking the transit authority exactly what they are getting for the money they are paying into the system.

Bonney Lake officials estimate approximately $2 million per year is paid to Pierce Transit from shoppers in Bonney Lake. The city, along with Orting, Buckley, Steilacoom and Dupont have joined together to complain about plans for dropping routes to their cities.

According to Deputy Mayor Dan Swatman, representatives form the cities have been in talks with Pierce Transit officials regarding their concerns, but those discussions came to an end last week when members of the transit authority told the representatives to come to Monday night’s public meeting with their concerns.

Plans from Pierce Transit show the possible elimination of all routes throughout east Pierce County except the shuttle from the Bonney Lake Park N Ride to the Sumner Sounder station.

Swatman said Tuesday, May 11 that he again expressed the cities’ concerns to the board and said though he does believe they have the board’s ear, the focus appears to remain on numbers.

Councilmember Donn Lewis also spoke to the Pierce Transit Board, asking them to consider cutting back on routes instead of completely eliminating them because many people need the “lifeline” of the buses to get around, including seniors who need to get to doctors and other appointments.

The small cities did get a new voice on the Pierce County Board this past week as Bonney Lake Mayor Neil Johnson was elected to replace outgoing board member Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow.

Johnson’s first meeting with the board was a planning retreat May 12 and he was encouraged the board has heard the concerns of the small cities and is trying to find ways to address them.