ELECTION 2023: You’ll vote on Veterans, Seniors, Human Services Levy renewal in August, after King County Council vote today

The next countywide levy vote has been finalized: The King County Council voted this afternoon to send the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy renewal to voters on the August 1st primary ballot. Though there were various proposals to change the amount, our area’s County Councilmember Joe McDermott confirms that the originally proposed 10 cents per $1,000 assessed value is what he and his colleagues approved. As originally noted in February, this renews a six-year levy that expires this year. Here again is how the original announcement’s one-sheet summarized the levy’s intent:

If renewed, the levy will:
• Fund permanent supportive housing, specifically for veterans
• Keep reducing veteran homelessness
• Expand investments in the human services workforce
• Double current funding for senior centers
• Maintain access to counseling and mental health supports for veterans and seniors
• Dedicate King County staff to strengthen resident and resource connections
• Deepen community-centered programming for survivors of gender-based violence

The 10 cents per $1,000 assessed value is the same rate as the expiring version of the levy as passed by voters in 2017. You can read the full legislation (and see all the alternatives that were proposed) here.

Plf May 3, 2023 (1:33 am)

I’m feeling nickeled and dime to death, I believe it’s a strategy to spread these elections out so the voter/taxpayer loses sight of all the requests that get made. Be interesting to know in the aggregate what is being asked for and the aggregate cost

Agree May 3, 2023 (5:55 am)

I couldn’t agree more. I’ve made the decision to sell my rental home in 2024 because of all these increases to our property taxes. I’m simply losing money. I could raise the rent, but damn I’m not that cruel. The City is killing me with their request for more money.
- Amd May 3, 2023 (1:07 pm)
  
  This is not a tax increase. If you choose to raise the rent over a levy that maintains existing funding but doesn’t increase your taxes, that’s on you.
Kitcat May 3, 2023 (8:03 am)

I was just thinking the same thing. The crisis levy special election was a prime example of a one issue ballot. What is the cost associated with each election? Voting once a year on the tax measures could be eye opening.

they May 3, 2023 (4:05 am)

It’s the renters that get hit the hardest…Sad many of them don’t see it…

CAM May 4, 2023 (12:00 am)

Sad that you assume they don’t. I think it would be best if we all stopped assuming we know what other people do and don’t know unless we’ve actually spoken to them. And no, speaking to the 5 people on your block or in your pew at church or in the pickup line at your kids school does not provide a comprehensive picture of what other people think and know. Life would be a lot more pleasant if you stopped assuming everyone around you was a moron and considered that maybe their values are different than yours.

Canton May 3, 2023 (6:50 am)

If they upped it to 10 dollars per 1000, it would still pass…

Also James May 3, 2023 (7:27 am)

Wouldn’t it be great if we could tell our elected officials in Olympia to write personal and corporate income tax into our state constitution? If only we knew how.

Person May 3, 2023 (7:45 am)

Why is the county responsible for supporting veterans?I want veterans supported as much as the next person, but doing this at this local level in nonsense.

CAM May 4, 2023 (12:04 am)

Because at the federal level you have things like the house of representatives tying cuts to veterans services into legislation to increase the debt ceiling so until you fix the gerrymandering that is happening nationwide that results in overrepresentation of minority opinions in federal government you are going to have to pay for things locally that should be managed at a higher level of government.

S*** rolls down hill.

Lucian Smith May 3, 2023 (8:04 am)

[HTML: probably missing ‘<‘ at “the a href=”https://kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/constantine/initiatives/veterans-seniors-levy.aspx” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy renewal]

WSB May 3, 2023 (11:03 am)

Fixed, thanks.

tim May 3, 2023 (8:35 am)

I can already see the rent increase coming.

Mark Schletty May 3, 2023 (9:21 am)

Tracy-is there anyway you can find out what the money for the expiring levy was actually spent on? Im a veteran and a senior, but this levy has always seemed to me to be a giant slush fund that could be used for almost anything under the loose terminology of the legislation. It makes me think my status is being used as a decoy to get money from sympathetic voters. Knowing how it has actually been spent so far can help me better decide how to vote.

WSB May 3, 2023 (9:23 am)

We reported that in our previous story.

Lucy May 3, 2023 (9:51 am)

How are we going to get more affordable housing when property taxes keep going up and up and up? Landlords have to raise the rent in order to make the same amount of money, and with inflation, everyone is making less money. Contrary to popular belief, money does not grow on trees.

Insanity May 3, 2023 (9:55 am)

Q: Why do you carry a gun?
A: To protect myself from people with guns!

Q: How do you make housing more affordable?
A: By raising property taxes to fund more affordable housing!

They May 3, 2023 (11:15 am)

Q: Why is my rent increasing A: Landlord said to cover property taxes
Al King May 3, 2023 (12:19 pm)

Insanity? Nope, more like reality. You just hit the nail on the head.
Rick May 3, 2023 (12:37 pm)

Bacause I can’t carry a cop.

Admiral May 3, 2023 (12:18 pm)

Has the County or City ever not asked for an existing levy not to renewed?

anonyme May 3, 2023 (1:49 pm)

Excellent point. The levy system is being used in place of responsible budgeting and is a system badly in need of reform,
- CAM May 4, 2023 (12:22 am)
  
  The levy system is being used in place of income taxes. Money has to come from somewhere. The most common funding sources are sales tax, income tax, or property tax. Seattle does rank pretty high compared to other major cities for sales tax but is 39th compared to other “large” cities in property tax rate. We are not being taxed at an atypical rate.

anonyme May 3, 2023 (12:47 pm)

I am sick to death of these costly, repetitious, and deceptive levies. The last time this levy was passed, senior services were immediately CUT. The email I received from McDermott states that he wants to continue and expand behavioral health services for seniors and others. In other words, services that do not currently exist. As a matter of fact, the Senior Center, a major recipient of these levy funds, used to have a psychologist available for appointments. That service has been eliminated. I can’t find the text right now, but I also read that the goal is to expand social services in libraries and other public buildings. Whatever level of compassion one might have for the homeless, it is not appropriate to turn libraries into flophouses, as many have already become – downtown, for example. These levies are not only far too expensive but fragmented and grossly overreaching. We should demand a breakdown of every levy showing which organization received how much, and exactly what they have to show for it. We currently have no idea where billions of dollars have gone and are going except for vague pie charts. The process needs new restrictions and requirements for scope, clarity, and accountability. This levy nonsense will continue to spiral out of control until voters
say NO. Enough.

Ex-Westwood Resident May 3, 2023 (12:57 pm)

As a 22 Year Navy Vet, I am SICK and TIRED of seeing Vets used as a patsy and ploy to raise taxes for services that are READILY available at ANY VA Center.

Of course, to use those services you must have been discharged with an HONORABLE or GENERAL discharge to be eligible to use those services. otherwise, you lose the benefit of the VA.

Other Than Honorable, the “Big Chicken Dinner” and Dishonorable Discharges will result in you losing the VA benefits, RIGHTLY so.

Mellow Kitty May 3, 2023 (6:39 pm)

Another excuse to raise taxes and rents, yet does nothing to make anything actually affordable. My rent goes up every year. I work for the state, who’s cutting my hours, put a freeze on COLAs, and mandating an unpaid 1.5 month – yes 6 weeks – furlough every year. They are not spreading it out. I will just be without an income for 6 weeks every year. I don’t own a car. I don’t go on vacation. I don’t go out to dinner, movies, concerts, or shows. I’ve cut my budget to the bare minimums – rent, bills, food. Even then just barely making it to the next paycheck. I love Seattle. I love Washington State. I just can’t afford to live here anymore. And it really sucks. I’ve lived in the same apartment for 13 years; I’ll be priced out in 6 months with the new rent increase.

CAM May 4, 2023 (12:27 am)

This is not a tax increase. “The 10 cents per $1,000 assessed value is the same rate as the expiring version of the levy as passed by voters in 2017.”