Seattle mayor proposes property tax to fund campaign donation vouchers

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has proposed raising property taxes to renew a program that donates to campaigns, the city announced in a news release Monday.

According to the mayor’s office, a $45 million property tax would be levied over 10 years to fund the Democracy Voucher Program.

The cost to homeowners, according to the mayor, would be around $12.20 a year.

Democracy Vouchers were created by voters in 2015 and implemented in the 2017 election cycle, explained the mayor’s office.

“The Democracy Voucher Program is a first-of-its-kind public campaign financing system which aims to increase participation, reduce the influence of big money in politics and make the city’s elections more accessible and transparent,” the news release states.

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More on the Democracy Voucher Program

According to the mayor’s office, since the program took off, more than 106,000 residents have contributed vouchers to candidates and more than $10 million has been distributed to local campaigns through 2024.

“I’m a proud supporter of the Democracy Voucher Program because it amplifies voices often overlooked in our community, empowering diverse coalitions with varied needs and outlooks,” Seattle City Council member Rob Kettle said via the release.

The mayor’s office claims that if voters pass the measure, the mayor, city council and SEEC will assemble a workgroup in early 2026 to make recommendations to reach more residents and encourage local campaigns by addressing the role of Political Action Committees (PACs) in municipal elections.

The proposal will go to the Seattle City Council for consideration to subsequently be voted on in the August primary.

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