Levy doubling taxes for Seattle education advances

Chris Grygiel:

The City Council on Monday moved forward an expanded Families and Education Levy that Seattleites will likely see on the ballot this fall - one that would nearly double the amount of taxes people are paying.

The measure is part of a city push to increase children's school readiness and performance, but it also comes at a time when the school district is reeling from a money management scandal that led to the superintendent being dismissed. The Council's Special Committee on Educational Achievement for Seattle Schoolchildren voted unanimously to send the levy to the full Council, which will consider it March 28.

One issue Councilmembers were alerted to was the fact that there would be a "bow wave" effect for this seven-year levy in which, beginning in 2016, the proposed spending wouldn't keep up with proposed revenues. By 2019 that gap would be about $8 million a year - a situation that future policy makers would have to deal with.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at March 22, 2011 1:01 AM
Subscribe to this site via RSS/Atom: Newsletter signup | Send us your ideas