On July 10th, I joined the rest of the City Council in voting yes on the city-wide Income Tax ordinance. This unanimous vote of the Council is just the first step in what will be a long legal battle. There is no disputing that our tax system in Washington is regressive and is hitting low-income residents the hardest.
During the last few months I have heard from many District 5 community members that they both want to see property taxes decrease but also want to see an increase (not a decrease) in City services for things such as affordable housing and transportation; and would like a tax system with greater fairness. I have also heard a great deal of support for an income tax from District 5 via phone calls and emails to my office. A recent King5/KUOW poll indicated 66% of Seattle residents favor an income tax in our city and 23% oppose.
This is just the beginning, many of you have also heard that there will likely be a long legal challenge. I hope you will stay connected to this issue as it progresses over the next several years.