It's a common problem in local government these days: So many streets in disrepair and so little money to fix them.

The Yakima City Council may be on the verge of tackling that ongoing headache. And if it does, it's going to take a comprehensive sales job on two fronts before the city can even think about taking advantage of a new funding source to pay for street projects.

Last year the state Legislature gave cities and counties authority to increase vehicle license tabs $20 to fund street improvements -- without voter approval.

Mayor Dave Edler thinks that's the responsible thing to do. But at least four of the seven council members -- Micah Cawley, Kathy Coffey, Rick Ensey and Norm Johnson -- are already on record at a mayor's weekly meeting as saying they wouldn't act on a car tab increase without an advisory vote, even though the new law does not require one. Of the other two, Bill Lover has promised not to raise taxes without a vote and Neil McClure is more in line with Edler's thinking.

Thus the need for two major sales jobs: 1) A majority of council members must first agree the extra money is needed for specified projects and the car tab money is the way to pay for them, and 2) a majority of Yakima voters must be convinced to support the plan and its funding.

Complicating the situation is a countywide nonbinding advisory vote on the tab-fee increase issue that was ordered by Yakima County commissioners in November. It was defeated when almost 81 percent of voters -- 8,825 for, 36,871 against -- rejected it.

In the city of Yakima precincts, the vote was 4,120 yes, 12,943 no (75.9 percent). Obviously, getting public approval of car tab hikes for streets would take a major turnaround in the city.

But as Edler rightly points out -- and as we noted editorially -- the advisory vote had major credibility problems. It was a blank-check proposal that merely asked voters' whether they would approve a fee increase for projects that were not even identified. That leap of faith was clearly too much for voters.

Now it's up to individual cities to decide if they want to go it on their own.

License tab fees at one time were linked to a graduated state Motor Vehicle Excise Tax system that was repealed and replaced with a flat $30 charge by Tim Eyman's Initiative 695. The initiative was approved by state voters in November 1999, but ruled unconstitutional on multiple counts by the state Supreme Court in October 2000.

In the meantime, the 2000 Legislature jumped on a politically popular bandwagon at the time and approved the popular $30 car tabs in separate, challenge-proof legislation that was to go into effect if the high court invalidated I-695.

That statute, not the initiative, is still on the books and has now been tweaked by lawmakers to allow the local option fee of $20.

City of Yakima officials have already identified a host of needed, expensive street projects. As we reported earlier, a 2006 study by the city found that three of the five busiest streets in Yakima -- 16th Avenue, 40th Avenue and Nob Hill Boulevard -- are too congested, too narrow and need to be repaved. Yakima Avenue and First Street need new signals and other safety improvements.

Overall, some 20 percent of the city's 95 miles of arterials were found to be in poor or failing condition.

And solutions are expensive: It would cost an estimated $11 million to repave the 3.6 miles of 16th Avenue from U.S. Highway 12 to Washington Avenue and another $9 million to repave 40th Avenue.

Edler has identified a need and pointed to a revenue source to address it. That's the kind of responsible and informed approach to city problems we expect from elected representatives. In most cases, we also expect informed elected officials to take the tough votes and not pass the buck to the people.

But November's advisory vote with no specifics has clouded the issue to the point that the dual sales job looms as the only way out for Yakima.

Council members must undertake a thorough look at all needed street projects, list them in detail and then decide whether the car-tab increase is the only realistic way to pay for them. If and when a majority of the panel agrees on that, it then behooves city officials to build a case and undertake a massive informational campaign to convince voters -- since a majority of council members has already committed to passing any final decision on the tab increase to them.

The needs are evident to anyone driving around the city.

Now we need a credible, specific and prioritized plan for improvement and evidence that car tab fee hikes are the only realistic funding mechanism.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins and Bill Lee.