‘Why don’t they just live within their means?’: Jake fires back at Katie Wilson’s proposed transit sales tax hike
Jul 10, 2026, 5:33 PM
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson faced backlash from Seattle City Council member Bob Kettle on her plan to raise the city’s transit sales tax from 0.15% to 0.30%. Kettle voiced concerns about affordability and proposed a smaller increase of 0.05%, Seattle Red reported Friday.
KIRO host Jake Skorheim questioned why the city needed another tax at all, noting the tax would fund transit services for the next decade with an annual price tag of $138 million. That means more than $1 billion over the next 10 years.
“That’s a lot of money,” Jake said on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “Why don’t they just live within their means? Why don’t they just try that? Why don’t they just do the crazy thing instead of all the things that they’re doing right now to scare businesses away, which then shrinks your tax base, which then means that you’re pulling in less money.”
“Why don’t they just try something radical and say, ‘Hey, you know what? We’re not going to raise your taxes, and we’re going to let you guys experience what it’s like to have a little stability in your planning for your businesses going forward,'” he continued.
RELATED STORIES
Why not just ask for no transit sales tax increase?
Jake said Kettle should take a stronger approach than offering .05%.
“Just do the no tax increase instead of 0.05%, which is what you want,” Jake said.
“At least he’s getting her into a conversation,” KIRO host Spike O’Neill responded. “Who knows where this is going to end. It’s going to fall to the city council to decide if it goes to a public vote. It’s up to us.”
“Wilson’s, you know, you always negotiate by asking for more than you want and then giving yourself room to come down. Maybe that’s her plan. I don’t know,” he continued. “She must have been getting better advice if that is her plan, indeed, because she’s coming out of the gate with some really inexperienced bad policy and bad decisions.”
The tax increase will end up on the November ballot if the Seattle Transportation Benefit District approves it by the Aug. 4 deadline.
Watch the full discussion in the video above.
Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3
