ELECTION 2023: Ballots on the way. You have 9 decisions to make

Ready to vote? Your ballot could arrive in USPS mail as soon as today (Thursday) and you can vote as soon as you get it. The King County Elections dropboxes open today – 3 in West Seattle (here’s the map). So here’s what you’ll be voting on – one levy, and 8 contested races (you’ll see some unopposed candidates on your ballot too)

Seattle Proposition 1 (Housing Levy)

Seattle City Council District 1

King County Council District 8

Seattle School Board Districts 1, 2, 3, 6

Seattle Port Commission Position 5

County Elections Director

Voting ends Tuesday, November 7th – the dropbox deadline is 8 pm, or get your ballot into the postal mail early enough that it’ll be postmarked no later than that date. (And if you haven’t registered to vote yet – it’s not too late.)

PDiddy October 19, 2023 (8:17 am)

no more levy’s already!

Jeff October 22, 2023 (7:52 pm)

I voted YES. Always need money to support the houseless community. It is not their fault you have to pay more in property taxes. Blame CEOs decreasing wages and busting unions. Blame banks and predatory lenders for bad interest rates. Not a measly tax! Most middle income earners will be paying more because of artificial property value rise and not this tax.

Steph October 19, 2023 (8:50 am)

I’m against the housing levy primarily because we’ve already given more taxes for this and the organizations involved have definitely not solved many of the problems of homelessness. It’s time to make these people accountable for the way they use our tax dollars. I’ve seen first hand how badly they are managed. Look for example how much senior housing costs have grown! Look at all the buildings the counties have bought and then left vacant while homeless people freeze on the street. It’s shameful and we shouldn’t support it until they prove they can be effective and efficient. Besides, get the billionaires who cause inflation and don’t pay enough taxes to fund this problem. Everyone should want to help others be housed but this is not the answer. It’s actually forcing seniors out of their homes and seniors don’t get an exemption! Maybe some do but certainly not all.

Graciano October 19, 2023 (9:53 am)

Time to make your own home/ rent more affordable again, vote No on prop 1.

Peter October 19, 2023 (11:37 am)

I don’t think that’s true. The root cause of high housing prices is a severe shortage of housing, which drives up prices for all housing. Building more affordable housing will help relieve some of the market pressure pushing prices up. That alone won’t solve the housing crisis, but combined with more rational zoning, streamlined permitting, and giving builders relief from the extortionate fees they have to pay to the city, it can have a significant impact, which is why I’m voting for the housing levy and Rob Saka.
- True North October 20, 2023 (2:19 pm)
  
  Your sentiments are spot on Peter! I suspect the majority who do not support the housing levy have no real hands on knowledge regarding the exact cause of the problem at hand. Have any of you gone out and actually talked with those who work in the city but cannot afford to live in the city? How about conversations with unhoused people? They majority are human beings who have found themselves in a situation they never would have believed possible, through no fault of their own or choices they made. Have you ever talked to the vendors of Real Change? Do you know their story? Regardless of your own personal financial situation, are you a member of the community that works but cannot afford to live here? Are you someone struggling with simply living day to day, who doesn’t know where their next meal will come from or even when that will be? We all, all of us, have our own cross to bear but for most of us we do not live under these types of conditions. Despite your political, religious or social justice beliefs, we, again all of us, must realize it is always incumbent upon us to help those who truly need our help. After all is said and done, you, each of you, have the potential to some day be blind sided by an incident or a series of unfortunate circumstances that upsets your life and renders you in need of help. . As for the mis-management of funds by our government entities, How involved are you in actively holding them accountable and doing what you can to offer positive solutions and make recommendations. I have found that involvement and public discourse with the powers that be are not only appreciated, but are heard, welcomed and ideas are often put into action. Are you willing to become involved, or are you content to complain and cast your vote without the critical knowledge needed so your vote really does count?
FYI October 19, 2023 (2:05 pm)

Your landlord is going to raise your rent anyway. Seattle is already facing a budget black hole in the next two to three years, let’s not make it worse.
- K October 19, 2023 (9:20 pm)
  
  It’s true, though. https://www.theonion.com/landlord-forced-to-raise-rent-due-to-thinking-of-bigger-1850922943

AC October 19, 2023 (10:52 am)

Vote yes on prop 1 if you love the income polarization of Seattle and want to see that continue by increasing the cost of renting or owning for anyone who doesn’t qualify for subsidy programs. You’re either rich enough to pay for all the redundant programs and administrators (some who aren’t even in Seattle) or poor enough and savvy enough to qualify for them. Push out everyone else, either by leaving or falling into the poor and homeless classes.

Danimal October 19, 2023 (11:48 am)

Hear, hear! Been reading plenty about how poorly the money they’re already getting is being used. I don’t care if it’s an expiring levy. Increasing the levy to just throw more money at poorly managed programs doesn’t convince me to vote for it, even if it satisfies “trying to help the homeless.”
- K October 19, 2023 (5:01 pm)
  
  SPD uses their money poorly ALL the time, but if you advocate cutting their funding, everyone is like “why do you love crime?”. Everyone has their cause that’s worth the money no matter how badly it’s managed.
Lauren October 19, 2023 (8:03 pm)

AC and others — I hate to say it, but this is exactly what the billionaires want. The middle and lower class battling against each other rather than demand the Uber-wealthy among us (and they are obscenely, unimaginably wealthy) pay their fair share. We’re all struggling. The people struggling alongside us aren’t the enemy.

West Seattle Mad Sci Guy October 19, 2023 (11:57 am)

People in this thread so far “I got mine -> /sticks tongue out at struggling people”. I have friends who directly benefit from these programs. They really do help people.

Danimal October 19, 2023 (12:15 pm)

That may be so, I’ll take your word for it. But it does NOT JUSTIFY increasing the levy when the programs aren’t using OUR MONEY responsibly and with adequate oversight and accountability. Besides, what good is increasing taxation if it drives more and more people into poverty and/or homelessness, or out of the area they need/want to live in? It’s counterintuitive.
Kyle October 19, 2023 (2:00 pm)

Don’t you have the choice that gets offered to voters though? Either vote in an increase of more bloat (even though we spent inefficiently before) or remove all funding for this enitrely. This is common on many levy’s and I just hate how it pits two extremes instead of giving the voter a chance to continue the levy at its current funding levels or reduce to what is actually working.
Anne October 19, 2023 (2:21 pm)

Baloney- no one I know is saying “ I got mine “ but my gosh there has to be a limit on how much one can afford to pay in property taxes(renters are impacted big time as well) without getting taxed out of their homes/apartments. Many folks -owners & renters alike are on fixed incomes -no way those incomes get a boost every time we get an increase in property taxes.
- Ronnie Applewhite October 21, 2023 (6:24 pm)
  
  The world goes way past people you know. Just because you don’t know anyone saying “I’ve got mine” doesn’t mean that those people don’t exist. I know several people who really don’t give a crap about anyone other than their own family. Everybody else can take a hike or get a job or whatever. I don’t hang out with these people, but some of them are in my family. I relocated to Seattle from Texas in 2007, and you would not believe he attitudes of so many Texans on this very subject. They say no to welfare and free college education and such because they don’t want to pay for it.Again, it’s the millionaire and billionaire class amd the corporations that are the problem. They don’t pay their share of taxes.

K October 19, 2023 (1:41 pm)

Not a rich person, but also not a sociopath so I plan to vote yes on Prop 1 because I care about people who are not me, and I know giving a little of what I have can make a big difference for someone else.

anonyme October 19, 2023 (2:25 pm)

Labeling someone who may vote differently than you as a “sociopath” says a lot about your own mentality and intolerance. A desire for the kind of accountability that actually makes a difference for people is not a sociopathic trait. Nor is this a rich/not rich issue. A lot of people – especially the “not rich” – are tired of throwing money away on misleading levies that have little to show given the enormous amounts of money in play.
Barton October 19, 2023 (3:19 pm)

Right? Those that vote no are definitely sociopaths who care only about themselves and who do not give money to help others. That is definitely the only reason anyone would vote no. Sarcasm.
Jeff October 20, 2023 (8:45 am)

Agree with K. I will be voting on this too. Property owners, as soon as they gain the wealth to own property, start to care about those beneath them much less. It’s disappointing. YES ON PROP 1!

Richard October 19, 2023 (3:56 pm)

to all the folks bemoaning property levies: then petition and vote for an income or corporate tax. if you bring up fixed income folks getting priced out, then there’s a solution. money has to come from somewhere, and (unless you live in the woods off the grid) yes, you benefit from those public services, too either directly or indirectly. you can’t have no/low taxes and expect the city and community around you to still give and provide for you. i feel like the people complaining about levies are the same who think “you can’t have free college/heathcare/whatever ’cause someone’s gotta pay for it!” and then still drive on public roads, go to public parks, use public utilities, etc. without acknowledging that they are also benefactors of government programs… if inefficiency is the issue, push for transparency and accountability instead of only obstructing and doing nothing else because (as Mad Sci Guy correctly put it) you got yours.

wetone October 19, 2023 (4:51 pm)

Big no from me towards any increases due to zero accountability shown with spending from Bruce Harrell and much of city council. Most the new builds Harrell is pushing will do little to help housing issues, as small % of units actually benefit low income. In the mean time most the original blue collar families and retirees in this city are going backwards. The city talks about help for the poor basically under $60k, but how about those in the $60- 135k that get no help….. Bruce Harrell and Dow Constantine have done very little to help city and county issues with housing, homeless and crime issues. They spend spend spend but show ???? How people can keep voting the way they do amazes me. No one can a decision so they hire more..…. As far as rental pricing, it’s the big investment companies and are government that drive cost to build here influencing and setting the market rates. Not your ma and pa investors that have a house or two ;) Keep passing their levy’s with zero accountability….. there’s many more tax hikes in the works …….

Jeff October 20, 2023 (11:00 am)

Agree wholeheartedly. Bruce has been mayor long enough to see changes but he’s spending our money on frivolous graffiti and sweeps and lightrail station derail to care.
WSRes October 21, 2023 (9:09 pm)

True. The $60k-$135k wage earners are the target demographic for cities to fund ….. well everything. Just enough of an income to tax heavily but not wealthy enough to exercise tax loopholes. The homeless population is flocking Seattle and King County because of the access to the low/no barrier programs. Fixed income earners are being priced out of their homes.

WSRes October 21, 2023 (5:45 pm)

No on any property tax increases with such poor accountability and results thus far. The situation is only getting worse under the current system.

anonyme November 3, 2023 (12:35 pm)

Maren Costa presents herself as the ‘environmental’ candidate. In the last 10 days I have received at least 10 glossy flyers from her, and today I received 3 in ONE DAY. I have never been so deluged with political propaganda by a single candidate. PLEASE STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY. For one thing, I mailed in my ballot a week ago, and I did not vote for you. For another, I would never, ever vote for a candidate who not only shows such fiscal irresponsibility and disrespect for the overwhelming preference of constituents to NOT receive this garbage in the mail but who reveals a disgusting level of hypocrisy by engaging in this practice while simultaneously claiming to care for the environment.

WSB November 3, 2023 (12:56 pm)

I believe different candidates have different lists. But FWIW I have collected every mailer we’ve received, for a forthcoming look at campaign $.

-4 pro-Saka, anti-Costa “independent expenditure” mailers
-1 pro-Saka “independent expenditure” mailer
-1 pro-Saka, paid-by-Saka mailer
-5 pro-Costa “independent expenditure” mailers
-2 pro-Costa paid-by-Costa mailer
Plus 1 pro-housing levy mailer and 1 pro-Aragon mailer.
- anonyme November 3, 2023 (2:02 pm)
  
  Interesting. I think I’ve only received two Saka mailers, a Mosqueda, a levy mailer, and maybe an Aragon. The Costa mailers have been almost every day. I can’t account for the discrepancy, but I wish it was an option to opt out of this deluge of junk mail.

Manolita Slye November 4, 2023 (8:13 pm)

I want to set the record straight about school board candidate Liza Rankin – District 1 – “wanting to close schools and not supportive of getting funding from legislation”Misinformation and unfounded rumors hurt our students and I can’t let that happen. Below the words from WA Representative Gerry Pollet, 46th District:“Liza Rankin was the only school board member in the state of Washington who spent a year organizing parents, school board members, administrators across the state to end the unconstitutional cap on funding for special education. Liza’s work led the effort to win the largest increase in state history in special education funding. She has been the leader on the Seattle School Board for policy development, implementing structural accountability measures, and authentically engaging with community. For these reasons and more, I endorse Liza Rankin for Seattle School Board, District 1”Get your ballots filled and vote Liza Rankin for school board District 1 ✅ !!!