A few weeks ago the Seattle City Auditor issued a new evaluation report on the city’s Sweetened Beverage Tax, the latest (and perhaps the final) in a series since the tax went into effect in January 2018. And consistent with earlier reports, the findings continue to show that the tax has done little to reduce consumption of sweetened beverages.
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Council passes new independent Office of Economic and Revenue Forecasts out of committee
Yesterday afternoon the City Council voted to pass out of committee an ordinance creating a new Office of Economic and Revenue Forecasts and a Forecast Committee to oversee it — an ordinance that likely violates the City Charter.
Continue readingSeattle payroll tax upheld in Superior Court ruling
This afternoon, King County Superior Court Judge Mary Roberts ruled in favor of the City of Seattle, upholding as “constitutionally permissible” the city’s payroll tax enacted last summer and dismissing a lawsuit challenging it.
Continue readingSpending plan for $20 vehicle license fee passes out of committee
After several meetings and some cordial debate (seriously), this morning the City Council’s Transportation and Utilities Committee settled its differences and passed out of committee a spending plan for its newly-imposed additional $20 vehicle license fee.
Continue readingCouncil patching up payroll tax ordinance to try to avoid court defeat
Tomorrow afternoon the City Council will likely give its final approval to a modification to the “Jump Start” payroll tax ordinance it passed last summer. If you read the memo written by Council staff, you will see a feel-good story about the city making this change as a result of feedback from companies. But that’s not what’s really going on with this change: in truth, it’s an attempt to fix a potentially fatal flaw in the ordinance before a King County Superior Court judge hears a challenge to it next month.
Continue readingTidbits from the past week
As is often the case, in the last week a number of things happened in local city government that flew under the radar. For your reading pleasure…
Continue readingChamber of Commerce files legal challenge to Seattle payroll tax
This morning the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce announced that it has filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court arguing that the “Jump Start” payroll tax passed by the Seattle City Council last summer violates the Washington State Constitution.
Continue readingPedersen, Herbold, Lewis propose $40 car-tab fee to increase bridge maintenance
This week Council members Pedersen, Herbold and Lewis are jointly introducing a last-minute addition to the 2021 budget that would increase the city’s car-tab fee from $20 to $40, in order to raise additional funds for much-needed bridge maintenance.
Continue readingMosqueda unveils 2021 budget balancing package
This afternoon, Council budget chair Teresa Mosqueda rolled out her “balancing package,” a collection of changes to the Mayor’s 2021 proposed budget that address Council members’ consensus priorities, while keeping the overall budget balanced as required by law. The package follows through with the cuts to SPD they proposed two weeks ago, and it cuts Mayor’s Durkan’s $100 million Equitable Communities Initiative down to $30 million. Shortly after it was released, Durkan issued a press release… largely praising it. Wait, what was that again?
Continue readingCouncil advances Transportation Benefit District renewal
This morning the City Council moved a proposed renewal to the Seattle Transportation Benefit District out of committee, after deliberating on several amendments. Assuming it is approved by the full Council on July 27, it will be in front of Seattle voters on the November ballot.
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