(Image: King County)
King County transportation officials have approved a $100 million annual funding package to rescue the county’s crumbling unincorporated road system. The vote will bump up sales tax across the county including Seattle. It could also make it harder to pass another sales tax increase being lined up for Seattle voters.
Passing in a narrow 5-4 vote, the legislation establishes a new 0.10% sales tax starting January 1, 2027. Officials say underinvestment since the 1990 Washington State Growth Management Act has left the county’s 1,500 miles of roads and 188 bridges severely degraded. The system requires roughly $200 million annually to achieve a state of good repair, dwarfing the current $6 million capital budget.
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In Seattle, the city’s sales tax is currently at 10.55% — 6.50% of that is the state’s base. 2026 started with a 0.20% increase from dual 0.10% public safety levies passed by both the City of Seattle and King County to fund law enforcement, court programs, and behavioral health services.
With the new county Transportation District approval, 2027 will now see sales tax in Seattle hit at least 10.65%.
Voters could push that higher. Mayor Katie Wilson is proposing an increase of 0.15 percentage points to continue and expand Seattle Transportation Benefit District spending on service on the city’s most important transit routes with hopes of getting the decision on the November ballot. Its passage would push sales tax in Seattle to 10.80% when the previous tax expires in spring.
The package approved by county leaders Friday allocates most of the revenue directly to critical infrastructure outside city limits. Funding will prioritize basic maintenance, bridge replacements, climate resiliency, and safety enhancements like sidewalks and school zone lighting.
The remaining 12.5% will be distributed to participating cities and towns for local road purposes. In another tight 5-4 vote, the board approved an amendment removing a funding cap on Seattle, with board chair Claudia Balducci serving as the deciding swing vote. Balducci called the decision a “watershed moment,” emphasizing that infrastructure is a regional imperative rather than a city-versus-county issue.
The board had previously opted to hold off on a decision on the funding plan in April.
Advocates say that the funding brings vital relief to neglected communities and access to trails and wildland.
“For too long, communities in unincorporated King County areas, like White Center and Vashon-Murray Island, have faced roads and transportation infrastructure that continue to deteriorate,” said King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda. “Today’s action provides much needed relief for unincorporated roads, bikes lanes and sidewalks to be built on the horizon.”
An official implementation plan is due in fall 2026.
Mosqueda never met a new tax she didn’t like so her vote and advocacy are no surprise.
W’s in the chat
This is getting out of control. Because the administrations cannot budget and waste the monies that do come through, we have to be squeezed in our pocket books even further. Every time something is needed a new tax should not be the go to.
Taxing the poor for roads? I bet some people will love it!
We need to stop subsidizing suburban development. They can’t afford to pay for their own infrastructure and should have to pony up their own money to repair it. Maybe if they paid the true costs, it wouldn’t be so ‘affordable’
Only problem with that theory is these suburban areas have been paying Sound Transit taxes for thirty years with limited or no service until very recently. Most still receive no Sound Transit benefits but pay the taxes. Looks like this is a two way street.
On top of developers having to pay for mandated infrastructure improvements, street amenities, and more, all of which costs are passed on to the buyers of the homes. Meanwhile, paying indefinitely for the chimera called Sound Transit.
good grief – are they trying to put restaurants and non-grocery retail out of business? Adding close to 11% to dining out + service charges + the 2nd most expensive uber/lyfts in the country or expensive parking is insane (if you can find it) The tax structure in this state is insane and its killing small businesses. Death by a thousand cuts …
Just think of the guy buying his second Porsche! omg!
This: “For too long, communities in unincorporated King County areas, like White Center and Vashon-Murray Island, have faced roads and transportation infrastructure that continue to deteriorate,” infuriates me!!! Because for too long communities in Seattle, like Capitol Hill, have faced transportation infrastructure that also continues to deteriorate, whether it’s elevators consistently being broken at regional transit hubs or bike lanes that kill bike riders. If Kenton wants more road lanes leading to Winco, or Vashon wants sidewalks that actually go all the way to the ferry, they should do it without subsidies from Seattle.
I get we need money earmarked for this important infrastructure maintenance but surely just bumping up the sales tax is not the answer. Increase tolls or something.
Fascinating the comments against this, if it were pushed on to property tax like everything else it would be you can afford $$ house so pay up Mr homeowner ! Seattle needs to tax everyone for the never ending ballot propositions, then see how many get approved…
I know this is out of the box thinking but you could always vote no.
I Have a feeling they may be asking for a no vote…Then claim the only option is tax billionares.
insanity – at least we have the best services and infrastructure in the developed world though, right?
Ditto: Mosqueda never met a new tax she didn’t like so her vote and advocacy are no surprise. How about collecting fares you ding dongs?
Build it and they will come.
Tax it and they will leave.
The sales taxes keep ratcheting up because sales taxes are a block headed way to try to run a state government. They’re horribly regressive: wealthy folks spend a much lower percentage of their income than regular folks. They’re inconsistent: when feelings cool about the economy, people spend less money. They’re overly dependent on the four or five weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. How much revenue does the state have this year? Nobody knows until Christmas. Given all that, balancing the state budget is a biannual game of progamatic musical chairs, which leaves municipalities on their own for things like road maintenance, which needs to happen. Our choices are accept the higher sales taxes or actually do something to provide predictable revenue for government to do its work. Nobody likes higher sales taxes, but everyone likes good schools and roads.
All I can afford is food and rent.