The city is preparing a $1.3 billion renewal of its early learning levy for the November ballot. A Seattle City Council committee heard an update on the proposal Thursday as it works to finalize legislation to put the decision on the levy to voters.
The first seven-year, $69.2 million levy, commonly known as the Families and Education Levy, was approved in November 1990 with support from 56% of the voters, the city says. A $619 million update was passed by voters in 2018. The proposal being lined up for consideration next would grow the program significantly with a planned $1.3 billion program over six years funded by a tax of $0.61 per $1,000 assessed value on property in the city.
Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office says the renewal would have a “$654 average annual impact to the owner of a median value home ($1.1M).”
“Research continually shows that investments in early learning and education have long-term economic, health, and social benefits for children and society,” Harrell’s announcement reads.
The increased levy would boost Seattle’s childcare and early learning resources, the mayor says:
- Childcare Expansion: More than doubling access to affordable childcare slots to 1,400 a year and providing direct payments to support the retention of 5,000 childcare workers citywide.
- Nationally Acclaimed Preschool Program: Expanding the Seattle Preschool Program to 3,100 seats, improving access for families across the city.
- Youth Mental Health and Safety: Bolstering youth mental health services for Seattle students through new school-based health centers, expanded staffing, and telehealth support.
- Seattle Promise: Free tuition and expenses for up to two years at Seattle Colleges, available to all Seattle public school graduates.
- Apprenticeships and Workforce Development: Creating a new Path to Trades program to help graduates enter careers in skilled trades.
You can learn more about the proposal here.
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Nope no more levies. ATM is empty.
That’ll be a no from me, dawg.
Let’s hear the no votes of people w/o a soul. Forget paying it forward. They got theirs.
Eat your cake Semper Fi. You are getting ours. Soak in the grandeur of the middle class supported corner unit that you enjoy, as you have stated, at one of the lowest rates in your building. The burden of this is on your middle-income working neighbors that can’t hang on because our regional taxes are high compared to Snohomish and Pierce Counties. We pay more and receive less in basic city services. I salute you.
I earned everything. I’ve paid it forward many times over and still do. I believe in service to your country and especially my fellow humans.
I think it’s really pathetic to be triggered over not getting exactly what you want every time. Trump says we are suckers for serving the country and protecting his fat ass.
Get a life. This is not the end.
Just because I set my life up to be livable you are mad? lolol…I am just a person. No drinking or drug habits. Just a square. So it’s simply the less fortunate on down you despise. I got it lol…Wow…You are one miserable sob. I have my issues. But I ain’t never had yours because it’s senseless and it’s negative.
I’ll be eating hot fudge by 9pm and you’ll still be here telling everyone how miserable your life is.
You likely voluntarily enlisted and chose to be part of war machine as your career. Receive your designated, federal, “livable”, benefits as part of your employment contract as long as they are still paid out. Whatever.
if your job was to bomb and raid people for national security, western influence, good on you. I don’t privilege your “service” job above any other civil servant. EPA overseeing the Duwamish and Hanford site, human bodies, for cleanup, might provide me more direct service and protection than a Marine, but I degrees.. Semper Fi.
Easy to say being as how you’ve not accomplished anything in your life. You MAGA types think Marines are “suckers”. You are the sucker. You blew it and didn’t do the worked necessary to build a safety net for you and your family.
I think it’s funny how you do all these contortions to make your point. Fact is you are a loser and I am a winner and it hurts inside so you need to lash out.
This is a DOUBLING of the previous levy! Not OK!!
Those who decide on the dollar cost of levies feel free to propose outrageous increases, because they know that Seattle voters routinely, in knee-jerk fashion, approve levies, even if they are way too much.
I am normally pro taxes. We need them to run stuff. Less, more, it’s all the same. It’s money.
But X2 is fing rediculous. Even for mainstream progressives like me. It’s regressive AND excessive.
No thanks. I chose not to have kids for a reason. Do a reverse child tax credit and make only the parents pay for this one.
Ok, so far we have $400ish for parks and another $1k for schools. Time to sell up and move into a rental.
I’m all for all of this I just wish that we had a more progressive way to pay for services than regressive property and sales tax, which ironically hit the people they intend to help more than those w $$$$$$. Shame on our state and city leaders for their utter lack of guts.
Why, WHY must homeowners bear the cost of these levies?!? Why wouldn’t every citizen contribute? It boggles.
Renters constantly scream rents are too high, affordability crisis, and greedy landlords. They never seem to equate property taxes trickle down to them too, along with soaring property and earthquake insurance costs, W/S/G stings..
More whys. Why wouldn’t kids who live in Seattle but didn’t graduate from a Seattle Public School be eligible for two free years of education at Seattle colleges? Private school graduates should be eligible as well. But wait! Its an income based distinction, that’s why. Nope! Plenty of Seattle families send their kids to private school but switch to Roosevelt or Garfield for high school. So some people with larger incomes are eligible for this program while others are not, all based upon whether they attended public or private school. Even more, the people who aren’t eligible are likely paying the most into this levy. Make the benefit income determinate or extend it to all Seattle high school graduates.