‘I think we’ve gotten a little bit greedy’: Angela Poe Russell questions Seattle’s Prop 1 tax increase

KIRO fill-in host Angela Poe Russell questioned the size of Seattle’s proposed transit tax increase, arguing that voters are repeatedly being asked to approve renewals that come with substantially higher costs.

Discussing Proposition 1 with KIRO host Spike O’Neill on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio, Angela supported investing in public transportation but challenged whether doubling the dedicated sales-tax rate was necessary.

“But I think we’ve gotten a little bit greedy,” Angela said.

Proposition 1 would double the Seattle Transit Measure’s sales-tax rate from 0.15% to 0.3%, according to King County Elections. That is a 100% increase in the transit-specific rate, not a doubling of Seattle’s overall sales tax. Information on the ballot measure can be found at the King County Elections website.

The proposed 10-year measure would generate approximately $138 million annually, support 95,000 additional bus trips each year and provide free ORCA cards for 22,000 people, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation.

Angela questions the cost of another renewal

Angela argued that describing a ballot measure as a renewal can obscure how much more voters would pay.

“It’s a renewal, right? But then when you dive deeper, it’s like you’re renewing, and you’re increasing,” Angela said.

She acknowledged that inflation and the needs of a growing city can justify additional funding. But she described feeling increasingly frustrated by the scale of increases attached to successive ballot measures.

Angela also raised concerns about relying on sales taxes, which she argued place a greater burden on lower-income residents.

Her objection was not to transit itself. She recognized that people depend on buses and need reliable, frequent service.

“I know that there are people who rely on public transportation, and they need to have more service,” Angela said. “I get that.”

Spike supports investing before the city grows further

Spike supported Proposition 1, although he explained that he lives outside Seattle and cannot vote on the city measure.

He acknowledged concerns about the government’s management of tax dollars but argued that those concerns should not prevent planning for future transportation needs.

“People keep coming,” Spike said. “You’re going to need light rail. You’re going to need bus service.”

He also challenged the idea that encouraging transit use benefits only passengers. In his view, fewer people driving could improve conditions for those who remain in their cars.

“Here’s the deal: if they get 20% of people out of their cars, it will help the 80% of us who stay in our cars,” Spike said.

Those percentages illustrated his argument; they were not presented as a forecast of Proposition 1’s effects.

Both call for collecting fares

Angela suggested that transit officials should do more to collect fares before asking residents for substantially higher taxes.

“Can you use some of this money you’re needing and enforce the fares, like enforce the fares?” Angela said.

Spike agreed that fare enforcement matters. However, he emphasized that passenger fares cover only a portion of transit operating expenses, so collecting unpaid fares would not solve the entire funding problem.

“It’s not like 35% of the operating budget is being let to walk through the door without paying,” Spike said.

He pointed to equipment, maintenance, staffing and security costs as reasons additional funding could still be necessary.

The measure would direct 86% of its funding to bus and streetcar service, with the remainder going toward transit access programs, infrastructure and support for future light rail projects.

Would a different tax structure change Angela’s view?

The discussion broadened when Spike asked whether a state income tax could reduce reliance on sales, property and business taxes.

Angela indicated she would consider that approach only if reductions elsewhere were part of the deal.

“I would vote for it if they would commit to lowering the sales tax,” Angela said. “Like they would have to do both.”

That exchange highlighted their common ground: Both supported transportation investment, but Angela wanted a clearer limit on how much more residents would be asked to pay.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

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