Seattle Transit plan would increase sales tax to among highest in the nation
The measure would double the transit sales tax to 0.3% and raise about $1.4 billion over 10 years for bus service.
- On Tuesday, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved the Seattle Transit Measure , a 10-year plan doubling the transit sales tax from 0.15% to 0.3%, sending the proposal to the November ballot.
- Mayor Katie Wilson's proposal aims to raise approximately $1.4 billion over the decade, dedicating roughly $96 million annually to expand bus routes in underserved neighborhoods and fund 22,000 free transit passes for low-income households.
- The measure passed 7-2, with Councilmembers Alexis Mercedes-Rinck and Eddie Lin voting no. Amalgamated Transit Union 587 President Greg Woodfield called the vote "critical" to protect current service and expand it.
- Seattle Councilmember Bob Kettle opposed the hike, citing the city's $175 million budget deficit and arguing against "piecemeal" tax increases in favor of a priority-based budget system.
- If voters approve the measure in November, Seattle's total sales tax rate would reach 10.7%, which the Tax Foundation identifies as the highest among major cities in the United States and Washington.
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Seattle councilman calls for reform, realignment of city budget
(The Center Square) - This fall, voters in Seattle will decide if they want to increase sales taxes in the city to fund a new transit measure that would expand bus service while the city also faces a massive deficit.
Sales tax hike to hit Cook, collar counties on Aug. 1 – Center Square
Transit funding legislation signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last December provided for the 0.25 percent increase to take effect on Aug. 1 in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties. The tax hike is projected to generate $478 million a year as part of the $1.5 billion in annual transit funding provided in Senate Bill 2111.
Seattle City Council Unanimously Passes Historic Seattle Transit Measure
The Seattle City Council unanimously passed the Seattle Transit Measure (STM), an ambitious package to fund more than 100,000 hours of additional transit service in the city over the next 10 years. This November, voters will decide whether they want their buses to run frequently and on time, or if they’re cool with the buses being even more dysfunctional and unreliable than they are now. Mayor Katie Wilson proposed the historically ambitious STM…
Mayor and advocates say 2026 Seattle Transit Measure ‘will help residents afford their lives in our expensive city’
Wilson at the June unveiling of her Seattle Transit Measure proposal (Image: City of Seattle) The Seattle City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the 2026 Seattle Transit Measure for the November ballot, proposing a 10-year renewal funded by a 0.3% sales tax. Generating an estimated $138 million annually, the package aims to significantly expand bus service in the city, strengthen system safety, and address regional affordability for r…
Socialist mayor pushes to tax her city even harder as businesses run for the hills
Socialist Democratic Seattle mayor Katie Wilson is pushing to increase sales tax her city to expand bus services —during a time when businesses are rapidly leaving the […]
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