‘An expensive little trip’: Gee and Ursula say parking costs already sting as mayor’s budget proposes higher tax

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s proposed budget would make parking in private lots and garages more expensive. KIRO hosts Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin said parking costs already affect where they shop and eat.

Wilson’s $9.1 billion budget proposal, set to go to the City Council, would raise the commercial parking tax to 17%. Capitol Hill Seattle reported that with sales taxes added, the total tax on paid parking would reach close to 28%.

Ursula explained what that would mean for drivers on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. A $20 parking charge, which she noted is low for game days, would include about $5.50 in total taxes. The proposed increase alone would add 50 cents.

“Just wanted to bring up that it’s going to get even more expensive,” Ursula said.

Gee says parking is the cost that bothers him most

Gee said people are bothered by some expenses more than others. For him, parking is at the top of the list.

“For some reason, parking. Look, I’m being serious,” Gee said. “That right there, it bothers me so much. I will make decisions on that.”

Gee added that he watches grocery prices but doesn’t think much about gas, whether it costs $5.15 or $5.85 a gallon.

Ursula sees it differently. She thinks about gas prices every time she fills up and pointed to her last fill-up, which cost $80.

“So you throw tax, then tack on the parking,” Ursula said. “That absolutely factors into whether I’m going to go visit a place to eat or whatever.”

Quick trips and dinners come with an added cost

For Gee, the cost is hardest to justify on short trips downtown.

“If you want to go downtown Seattle and you want to go to a store and you want to grab something really quick, you have to tack on at least $12 to whatever it is because you’re going to be in there for five minutes,” Gee said.

Ursula agreed.

“You’re like, man, that’s an expensive little trip,” she said.

Gee added that parking can also raise the cost of special occasions.

“Let’s go out to a nice restaurant. You go on your anniversary dinner or something like that, and boom, tack on $24 to your dinner,” he said.

Ursula compared the expense to her sewer project at home: She will pay a lot of money for it and have nothing to show for it in the end.

“It’s not going to beautify my home,” she said.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.