Nickels proposes new transportation taxes
 |
| Property taxes, parking taxes and employer taxes make up the Mayor's package. |
Talk to people around Seattle and they're quick to complain about the state of the city's roads. Some complain about traffic; others complain about potholes; quite a few have complaints about sidewalks and their neighborhood street. So now comes the test: Are Seattle voters willing to step up and pay?
The mayor is proposing a 20-year, $1.8 billion plan to catch up on the city's transportation maintenance backlog. His plan includes a property tax levy (roughly $200 on a $450,000 home), a 10% commercial parking tax throughout the city, and a business transportation tax of $25/year per employee. The plan generates about $65 million in the first year ($46 mil. from the property tax levy, $13 million from the parking tax and $5.5 million from the business employee tax). Voters this fall will not only see this proposal, but another proposal from King County Executive Ron Sims to raise sales taxes for Metro, plus an advisory vote on whether to spend the extra money to replace the viaduct with a tunnel. Nickels hopes in sea of ballot measures that taxpayers recognize the money is badly needed to pave roads, fix bridges, improve crosswalks, sidewalks and provide some money toward major projects such as South Spokane Street, the South Lander Street bridge, King Street station and Mercer Street. Are you willing to pay to fix Seattle roads? How would you vote in November? |
Comments
No more taxes,I can't afford it any more.
Posted by: Floyd | May 22, 2006 5:16 PM
Our taxes are high enough. We would like to be able to afford to stay in our home. Find the money elsewhere.
Posted by: Kathy | May 22, 2006 5:19 PM
No! to increased property tax. I would favor a flat fee or VAT on gasoline, especially if imposed at state or federal level.
Posted by: jreyr | May 22, 2006 5:23 PM
I think the mayor should think back to when the city increased our license fees to pay for a monorail project that waisted millions of tax payers dollars. I don't agree with paying any body money when all there going todo is waist what they get. I also don't think anybody want's to be number one in the Nation for washington being rated as having the highest tax rate. I also think Mayor Nickel's should his head for more than a hat rack
Posted by: Mark | May 22, 2006 5:24 PM
I'm all for road repairs and I don't think I've ever voted against a tax hike to pay for it. However, King county has proven they are quite capable of wasting a lot of cash fast (we're still paying for the monorail, are we not?). They've got some explaining to do and some results owed.
Posted by: Sam | May 22, 2006 5:24 PM
Absolutely not. A 500 million backlog?? How did that happen? It just showed up over night? I don't think so. This is representative of just plain inept paying attention to priorities. I'm sure this backlog was displaying itself over the last few years but rather than allocating resources to take care of it the council was out chasing Monorails, Street cars, Sonics, Special building windfalls for a single landowner in the regrade, blah, blah, blah. The council can go back to the special interest they have been courting and get it from them. If they in turn raise their prices to cover the bill then I'll figure out a way to deal with that bridge when I get to it. But I won't impose it on myself.
Posted by: Carl W. | May 22, 2006 5:27 PM
No more taxes. I have to manage and stretch my meager income, I suggest the cities do the same. Like Floyd (above blog) I won't be able to stay in my home. Find the money by putting a minimal tax on our payroll. A state income tax would answer MANY problems, plus it would have a minimal impact on lower income or elderly residents. NO ON PROPERTY TAX INCREASES!!! I think the most important thing for our politicians to realize is that when we (the citizens) have an emergency we can't invent a gold mine, we count on our good sense throughout the year to save toward emergencies as well as luxuries.
Posted by: joy mccartney | May 22, 2006 5:28 PM
Another new tax on this and another new tax on that. When is just one elected leader in this state going to hold a press conference to announce, "Guess what, I just found a way to save you hard working taxpayers some $$$" Perhaps the mayor should drop his "Tunnel Dream" and use that money to fix the roads.
"The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them away."
Ronald Reagan
Posted by: Dan | May 22, 2006 5:42 PM
Sorry...no more taxes. I am fed up with the monorail fiasco which wasted taxpayers money. Greg, why don't you sit in my chair and see what I have to live on and try to stay in my house? So, no, I do not support a property tax again. I'm still trying to afford my car. I will remember when election day rolls around!
Posted by: Marlene Orias | May 22, 2006 5:44 PM
We are taxed out!! Keep this up and we'll be facing a colosal homeless problem. As a home-owner with only a few working years left, property tax increases decrease the potential of me living in the home I've worked all these years to have. Think of the big picture, increased property taxes don't just impact homeowners, they impact renters as well, those who can't afford a home of their own. Where do they go when their rent exceeds what they can afford to pay? I agree with the "minimul" state income tax idea, exempt for workers earning less than whatever the poverty level is would be a must, taxed at a flat percentage, and with no loopholes for the big buck earners - that includes our wonderful elected officials and the wealthy, of course. Thank you.
Posted by: David | May 22, 2006 5:56 PM
Stop the insane redesigning of Aurora Ave (which they are re-paving again after having just re-paved a few years ago) and use that money to fix the roads. Cut City employee payroll to fix the roads. Shouldn't government start working for us instead of against us? Should any government employee earn far more than the average per capita income of the people it "serves"? I think not. Get that in line and the funding for street repairs will be more than enough.
Posted by: karen | May 22, 2006 6:03 PM
It seem's rather ironic that it has been stated
that the price for a medium home in Seattle is
now 400 thousand plus & the tax will be $200.00
a year on a 400 and fifty thousand home. Will it
never end? I'm am retired and on a fixed income,
the well is empty Mr Mayor draw out your bucket
there's nothing left.
Posted by: John | May 22, 2006 6:27 PM
NO to raising property taxes still higher! King County is seeing higher income from property taxes than ever- the median price of houses keep rising every year- so does what everyone pays. What is all of that money paying for? Where has it gone? I would like to be able to afford my house too.
Posted by: Jen | May 22, 2006 6:56 PM
TAXES TAXES and MORE TAXES ENOUGH ALREADY!!
Hasn't everything gone up higher than it should like the prices of gasoline for example and now the property taxes going up through the "ROOF".
Something has to give and I don't mean moneywise.
Get it from the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT afterall they spent billions of dollars already just on this crazy Iraq War..if they can support a uncalled for war certainly they can handout money for roads and transportation works also.
Posted by: Liz Devich | May 22, 2006 7:55 PM
Taxes!!! Again!!! Let's cut insurance, wages, raises, auto purchases/leases, and all of the useless expences of our public officials from the Governor down to what ever useless job someone higher up the chain created for an out of work family member working for us the tax payer and make them live in the real word all of us do. Let them co-pay an insurance plan, use their own auto for the job they chose to have & let them buy their own gas and insurance, make politicians work a real work year , stop letting them vote their own raises, put a cap on state employee wages equal to our wages, stop funding a retirement package for government employees from my taxes. Stop paid administrative leave. Stop paying crooked officers pensions when they commit a crime. Schools, housing, scholorships, roads, parks, elder care, no property taxes for the retired after 67. I could go on in a hundred different ways our taxes should be used instead of giving it to some overpayed over compensated state/federal employee. NO MORE TAXES!!! TAKE A BITE OUT OF THEIR A** INSTEAD OF OURS AGAIN.
Posted by: George Campbell | May 28, 2006 9:27 PM