MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Seattle mayor proposes funding plan with new taxes to pay for more police

Apr 28, 2016, 6:33 PM

Mayor Ed Murray has announced a new set of taxes and fees with the aim of hiring more police office...

Mayor Ed Murray has announced a new set of taxes and fees with the aim of hiring more police officers. (AP)

(AP)

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has promoted that he will add 200 more officers to the police department by 2019, and now he has come out with a funding plan to make it happen.

“Public safety is the paramount duty of local government,” Murray said Thursday. “As one of the fastest growing cities in America, we face serious strains on our public safety resources that must be addressed. Today, I am proposing a specific funding plan for public safety investments that strikes a balance between new revenues and reprioritizing existing resources.”

Murray plans to fund the additional officers by doing three things:
• Reprioritizing existing resources
• identifying efficiencies
• Increasing selected fees and taxes on local businesses

The addition of 200 police officers will bring the Seattle Police Department up to 1,464 officers — which the mayor’s office notes is the highest staffing level the police department has ever seen.

The funding will break down to $37 million more each year — $14 million will come in the form of new revenues, and the remaining sum will come from existing resources.

As for the higher taxes, those are aimed at Seattle’s businesses:

• An increase to Seattle’s Business License Fee. This increase will come in five steps and depend on the size of the business. It is expected to bring in $5.8 million per year. The mayor’s office notes that small businesses will experience about a $25 increase in the fee.

•Business & Occupation taxes rates will go up by 2 percent. The B&O tax in Seattle has remained stagnant since 1991, the mayor’s office argues. It is expected to bring in $8.4 million each year. The example the mayor’s office point out is a retail business with $1 million in revenues will pay an additional $70 per year.

The mayor’s office also notes that the 911 call center has experienced “growing strain.” Call center volumes have increased by 13 percent since 2010.

MyNorthwest News

Photo: On Monday, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced there will be 16 new preschool classrooms across Se...

Julia Dallas

Harrell’s office announces Seattle preschool slots for thousands of kids

Thousands more families will have the chance to start their children's Seattle preschool education earlier, thanks to a program launching.

6 hours ago

Digital...

Micki Gamez

How parents can help prevent children from falling victim to online sex crimes

Chances are, if your teen has a cell phone or tablet, they either know someone or they have been the victim of an online sex crime because kids as young as seven are online more than ever. My interest in this story began almost the same time last year when my daughter came home and […]

10 hours ago

Pierce County Jail...

Bill Kaczaraba

Pierce County Corrections chief at odds with the employee guild

The Corrections Bureau's Guild has issued Patti Jackson a vote of 'no confidence,' as reported by The Tacoma News Tribune.

12 hours ago

Image: A Seattle Police Department vehicle seen during the day...

Sam Campbell

Security guard stabbed, suspect barricades inside Beacon Hill apartment

SWAT officers surrounded a complex in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood after police said a man stabbed a guard barricaded himself inside.

13 hours ago

seattle indecent exposure...

Frank Sumrall

Seattle man arrested for 14 counts of indecent exposure, most near schools

A 34-year-old man was arrested by Seattle police (SPD) in connection to 14 counts of indecent exposure near Lake Forest Park.

13 hours ago

Federal Way shootings...

Bill Kaczaraba

Federal Way Police say two shootings are related

Police believe two shootings in Federal Way are related.

16 hours ago

Seattle mayor proposes funding plan with new taxes to pay for more police