ELECTION 2025: Mayor signs FEPP levy expansion/renewal at South Seattle College’s satellite campus

(Photos courtesy South Seattle College)

Mayor Harrell visited the Georgetown satellite campus of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) today to sign the bill sending the expansion/renewal Families, Education, Preschool, Promise Levy to the November ballot. This is a 6-year, $1.3 billion levy; as we reported when the mayor proposed it back in April, it’s projected to cost the median-assessed-value Seattle homeowner $654 a year, while the 2018 version of the levy – which is expiring – was described as costing the median-value homeowner $249 a year. Among the speakers today was SSC president Dr. Monica Brown:

The “Promise” in the levy’s name is its big tie to SSC, as it will fund the Seattle Promise program offering free tuition at SSC and its two sibling Seattle Colleges. The city’s news release about today’s signing event has more on what the levy will go toward, as does this fact sheet.

Mike June 24, 2025 (6:41 pm)

“offering free tuition at SSC and its two sibling Seattle Colleges” yikes

drdcla June 24, 2025 (7:31 pm)

Oh, no! No! No! The levies are getting so out of hand. Are you trying to price people out of the city? Vote No!

Jake June 24, 2025 (10:41 pm)

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Pricing… homeowners out? There’s more renters than homeowners, and this benefits THEM so THEY don’t have to move out of the city. I really dislike single minded oppositions that only think about upper middle class benefits and no one else’s.
- Canton June 25, 2025 (10:44 pm)
  
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  Well this blog is only about you… It’s funny you want to tax homeowners with modest homes, until they sell out reasonable priced homes, to create the same lot with 3 homes for a million each… You are trying to create a environment where you will never own… You will own nothing, and be happy.

Tom June 24, 2025 (8:36 pm)

I’m struggling to pay my own kids college tuition. This is not OK.

Jake June 24, 2025 (10:44 pm)

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This does not affect that though, and it’s only $33 a month (considering former levy it replaces) to someone whose home is 900k. So if your home value is much less then this pretty negligible. Plus poorer kids, much poorer than your kids, get some free college which is rad. If you bought your house a long time ago, I bet you barely notice it when escrow is reset.
- Anne June 25, 2025 (7:33 am)
  
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  Tired of that old tune- ONLY $33 a monthly ex-added on to all the other raises in property taxes that ONLY had this or that amount. Don’t worry though those property taxes will get passed along to renters in the form of increased rent & unaffordable housing. Then renters will be wailing -but funny thing is-most voted for the very thing that helped raise their rents.
  - Jake June 25, 2025 (3:08 pm)
    
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    Anne, except you got a cheaper rate when you bought your home that people now DON’T GET. So you win some and lose some always, this helps kids, and is good.
- 1994 June 25, 2025 (10:17 pm)
  
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  projected to cost the median-assessed-value Seattle homeowner $654 a year which comes out to $54 a month……better check your math. Even if you bought your house a long time ago for many people their incomes have not increased to keep pace with the property taxes.
Lauren June 25, 2025 (9:55 am)

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This type of “I got mine” mentality is so disheartening to me.

wetone June 24, 2025 (9:21 pm)

Doesn’t matter what you vote this will pass. For renters, limited income, retirees and blue collar get ready to move as cost grow exponentially in this city and state. This city has allowed single family homes worth more for the dirt. You will see single family homes turning into 3 units. Go Seattle……..go Harrell ……..

Admiral-2009 June 24, 2025 (10:34 pm)

What is wrong with the old school way of getting a college education, the GI bill is a good way to get a college degree by earning it or work your way through (my nephew is currently working his was through Western). Enough with the freebies, property taxes are already way too much and for those who rent your landlord passes on the added cost in your monthly rent.

Les June 25, 2025 (7:57 am)

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Maybe instead of money for endless wars we can have money for social services. And then the nimbys on here can stop complaining about crime bc playing fields actually level and people will be able to afford to live and don’t have to resort to crime to get by.
- ltmmgm June 25, 2025 (8:57 am)
  
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  This is a ridiculous comment. “ And then the nimbys on here can stop complaining about crime bc playing fields actually level and people will be able to afford to live and don’t have to resort to crime to get by.”
- Lauren June 25, 2025 (9:55 am)
  
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  💯

anonyme June 25, 2025 (6:12 am)

I don’t think that free college is a bad idea. But the cost burden should not fall solely on the shoulders of Seattle residents, and there should be some kind of income eligibility requirement. BTW, renters DO pay property taxes passed down by the landlord to the tenant in the form of higher rent.

SLJ June 25, 2025 (7:13 am)

Raising taxes is hard. But this levy is important for all of our kids. Seattle Promise is available to all Seattle kids, but if yours decides to go somewhere else, why are you upset with those who take advantage of the program? The levy also includes money for school-based clinics, which offer free healthcare in most middle and high schools, and lower-income elementary schools. With the possible changes coming to medicaid, these clinics will be even more important.

Nicole June 25, 2025 (8:07 am)

Everyone seems to be focusing on that one (still beneficial in my opinion) part of the levy. But this would/already does also fund childcare, mental health programs, and other programs not listed like Environmental education. Not voting for this world effectively eliminate a lot of those programs relying on this funding already.

AK June 25, 2025 (10:01 am)

Why are my taxes paying for free education? This is not okay!!! Pay for your own college education! A lot of people are already struggling trying to keep up with all the property taxes!

Lauren June 25, 2025 (2:42 pm)

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Because our community benefits as a whole when its citizens are educated. This is truly not a radical concept.

BG June 25, 2025 (10:52 am)

These endless levies will eventually price me out of my home. I am currently paying over $10k a year in property taxes. In effect I am paying $900 per month for the privilege of living in the house that I have finally paid off.My property taxes were less than $2k per year when we bought our house.Yes the value of my home has gone up due to the tech invasion of Seattle. But I would prefer that my house was worth less and my taxes were affordable. I would like to continue living here during retirement.

walkerws June 25, 2025 (11:39 am)

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If your home is paid off, $900 per month is a fraction of what a mortgage would cost. If this is a burden for you, how are you affording retirement at all and how did you afford your mortgage before you paid it off?$900/month is also a fraction of what property tax would be in many other states. You’d be paying almost double that in Texas, and for fewer/worse social services. In fact, Washington is ranked 23rd for property tax in the US – right in the middle of the pack.

BG June 25, 2025 (3:04 pm)

Yes $900 per month is a fraction of a mortgage. But I paid for a mortgage for 22 years. I paid it off early by working hard and making sacrifices. I’m able to afford retirement because I’ve spent 6 months a year out at sea for the last 30 years. We bought a fixer upper house and I have spent countless hours working on it myself over the last 27 years. We drive old cars that I maintain and repair myself.We’ve done this and raised two kids here in WS.I will be on a fixed income soon. These endless levies are a real problem. “Oh it’s just another $600 per year for the average homeowner”. Over and over.It never stops. Oh well, at least we have a world-class public school system to show for it.

Admiral-2009 June 25, 2025 (10:15 pm)

walkerws – housing prices in Seattle are a million dollars thus a levy rate of $10 per $1,000 value is $10,000. Whereas the levy rate is higher say $20 per $1,000 but the house cost is $500,000 this the same $10,000 cost, but yes Seattle’s levy rate is lower. It’s not just the levy rate that is a factor it’s the cost of a typical home also. Enough already with more taxes!

Tessa June 26, 2025 (6:36 pm)

The South Community College campuses are the closest for displaced people without jobs to retrain and find work, in addition to both two years of and four years of college degrees, trades and ESL classes…. It provides so much more for the dollar than any university…. It’s a benefit to many. Please consider the benefits to our community and kids who could not afford to get education needed to enter the workforce. Thanks for considering this point.