MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Kshama Sawant rallies support for head tax relaunch

Jan 13, 2020, 6:47 PM

Sawant, second head tax...

Kshama Sawant held a rally Monday night for her new head tax. (KIRO Radio, Hanna Scott)

(KIRO Radio, Hanna Scott)

Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant rallied her supporters Monday night in support of a new head tax, not entirely different from her 2018 attempt. Except this time, she wants to raise more money.

Sawant wants to tax Seattle businesses in the range of $200-$500 million a year (with no sunset). In 2018, she was calling for $150 million to tax some of the city’s biggest businesses to create affordable housing.

Sawant outlined broad strokes of her proposal to pursue some sort of levy on larger local businesses in a late-December op-ed for CounterPunch.

The flyer Monday night stated that this is “not a tax on jobs. It’s a tax on big corporations, meaning on the multi-millions and billionaires.”

The Seattle City Council approved a head tax on the city’s largest companies on May 14, 2018.

The City of Seattle wanted to increase funding for homelessness services and programs for affordable housing. Council members argue that the city needed more funding to do this. The original proposal claimed that the head tax would raise $75 million annually to put towards building affordable housing and homeless services. It was later changed to $50 million.

Many large Seattle companies opposed the tax proposal. Some unions also opposed it while the council was debating the legislation.

The council repealed a head tax on June 12, 2018, less than a month later.

MyNorthwest News

Taylor Swift performs onstage during the Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Lumen Field on July 22, 20...

Micki Gamez, KIRO Newsradio and Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

Seattle tourism dollars break records following All-Star Week, Taylor Swift

It was a record-setting year for dollars flowing into Seattle from tourists.

22 minutes ago

Image: A bridge in Carnation....

Julia Dallas

Carnation frustrated with Seattle again after 8th false emergency alarm induces widespread panic

Carnation citizens have faced a series of panic-inducing alarms after SPU's system for the Tolt Dam falsely sounded eight times.

2 hours ago

Grocery store shopper...

Bill Kaczaraba

Ways to deal with Seattle grocery store sticker shock

Seattle grocery store sticker shock continues to play havoc on locals, but there are ways to counter high prices.

2 hours ago

belltown hellcat social media...

Frank Sumrall

Infamous ‘Belltown Hellcat’ social media influencer charged with reckless driving

The social media influencer has been accused of driving 107 miles per hour through Belltown in a Dodge Hellcat.

3 hours ago

KIRO Newsradio gracie awards...

MyNorthwest Staff

KIRO Newsradio anchors receive Gracie Awards for outstanding work

Heather Bosch and Lisa Brooks, anchors at KIRO Newsradio, have been honored by the Alliance for Women in Media with prestigious Gracie Awards.

6 hours ago

Kia Boys...

Kate Stone and Bill Kaczaraba

‘Kia Boyz’ allegedly execute a crime spree in south King County

Renton police chased down a 14-and 16-year-old but are still looking for two other teen suspects in what they said was a "crime spree" in south King County.

7 hours ago

Kshama Sawant rallies support for head tax relaunch