King County Approves 0.1% Sales Tax Bump to Aid County Roads
Members of the King County Council tapped into a long-dormant source of funding to provide a lifeline for the county's road services division on Friday, teeing up a 0.1% sales tax hike that will take effect on January 1. The new funding stream will provide around $90 million per year for road maintenance and safety upgrades in East King County, but also in areas like White Center, Skyway, and Vashon Island.
The final vote was a thin 5-4, a testament to broad reluctance to the idea of turning to additional sales tax increases to fund public investments as Seattle's sales tax rate climbs toward 11% with many other cities not far behind.
Even more so than cities, the state legislature provides counties with a limited number of tools to manage their own infrastructure. Furthermore, the Growth Management Act represents a policy choice to direct growth out of unincorporated areas and into cities, diminishing that tax base.
The funding source in this case came via the King County Transportation District, a special purpose government that was established in 2014 to provide a framework for a countywide transit funding measure that voters ultimately rejected. By keeping the increase to 0.1%, the county avoided the need for a public vote. And because the measure was approved by a board of supervisors that's distinct from the county council – made up of all nine county councilmembers – there is no opportunity for Executive Girmay Zahilay to sign or veto the increase.
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