CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to transportation network company fees; changing the per-ride fee amount for trips originating in Seattle; deleting obsolete provisions; and amending Section 6.310.150 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
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WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) has reviewed the revenue from transportation network company (TNC) per-ride regulatory fees and the costs for FAS to operate, regulate, and enforce the TNC regulatory scheme; and
WHEREAS, the Director of FAS has determined that the per-ride cost should be adjusted downward to offset FAS’s current and anticipated TNC operational, regulatory, and enforcement costs; and
WHEREAS, several provisions of Seattle Municipal Code Section 6.310.150 apply only to 2014-2015 and are now obsolete; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 6.310.150 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 124524, is amended as follows:
6.310.150 Fees
The following nonrefundable fees shall apply:
A. ((Upon the effective date of this ordinance, taxicab)) Taxicab association, taxicab, and for-hire vehicle license and for-hire driver fees (excluding ((Transportation Network Company)) transportation network company (TNC) for-hire drivers) ((for the 2014-2015 vehicle licensing year)) shall be:
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1. Taxicab Association |
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a. Annual fee |
$1,000 |
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b. Late renewal fee |
$100 |
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2. Taxicab or for-hire vehicle fees |
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a. Annual license fee |
$500 |
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b. Wheelchair accessible taxicab annual license fee |
Waived |
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c. Late fee (license renewal) |
$60 |
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d. Change of vehicle licensee: |
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i. July-December |
$500 |
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ii. January-June (half year) |
$250 |
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iii. May 16-June 30* |
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e. Replace taxicab plate |
$25 |
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f. Special inspection fee** |
$100/hour (1/2 hour minimum) |
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g. Inspection rescheduling fee (non-City licensed vehicles only) |
$25 |
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h. Taxicab change of association affiliation |
$100 |
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i. Change of licensee corporation, limited liability company, or partnership members |
$100 |
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j. Taximeter test (when not part of annual inspection) |
$50 |
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((k. This section 6.310.150.A.2 shall take effect and be in force retroactively as of May 1, 2014 in order to apply to all taxicab and for-hire vehicle fees for the 2014-15 vehicle licensing year July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015.)) |
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*No change of taxicab licensee or for-hire vehicle licensee fee is due if the transfer occurs between May 16-June 30. During this period, the change of taxicab or for-hire vehicle licensee and the annual license renewal are accomplished together and only one fee will be assessed. |
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**For testing of taxicab meter or taxicab inspections provided to other municipalities. |
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3. For-hire driver license fees: |
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a. Annual fee Late fee |
$50 $15 |
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((((Add/change affiliation*** |
$20)))) |
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b. Replacement license |
$5 |
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c. Other training and licensing fees (fingerprinting, ID photo, background check): Charge as determined by Director to cover costs. |
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(((***For-hire drivers may only be affiliated with a maximum of three taxicab associations at any given time. This fee is only charged when the driver is affiliated with three associations and now wants to delete one association and add another.))) |
B. Transportation ((Network Company (TNC) License, Vehicle Endorsement)) network company license, vehicle endorsement, and for-hire ((For-Hire Driver’s License Fees)) driver’s license fees shall be:
((Upon the effective date of this ordinance,)) TNCs shall pay (($0.10)) $0.08 per ride for all trips originating in Seattle to cover the estimated enforcement and regulatory costs of TNC licensing, vehicle endorsements and driver licensing. ((After six months or any time thereafter, the)) The Director may adjust this per-ride fee based on the number of new TNC licenses, for-hire driver’s licenses and vehicle endorsements issued, and ((total)) quarterly number of TNC trips originating in Seattle. ((provided in the previous quarter, as reported pursuant to Section 6.310.540.)) The purpose of any adjustment is to ensure that the per-ride fee covers the estimated enforcement and regulatory costs of TNC licensing, vehicle endorsements, and driver licensing. ((Total TNC industry fees shall not exceed $525,000 in year one. Unless the Director finds that a TNC has not paid its proportional fees covering the cost of enforcement and regulatory costs for the prior year, at)) At the time of renewing the TNC license, the fees for the current TNC license, vehicle endorsements, and for-hire driver licenses shall be renewed upon approval of completed renewal applications and upon the condition that the TNC is current on the per-ride fee and continues to submit quarterly per-ride fees.
C. The Director may adjust any of the fees in ((subsection A after the ordinance’s effective date, and any of the fees in subsection B six months after the ordinance's effective date,)) this Section 6.310.150 following consideration of the following nonexclusive factors: the projected costs and annual budget allotted for enforcement and regulatory costs across the for-hire transportation industry, the need for increased street inspection in order to reduce illegal activity, the total number of trips originating in Seattle across the for-hire transportation industry, and the administrative burden of issuing additional taxicab licenses, TNC licenses, for-hire driver’s licenses, and TNC vehicle endorsements. The purpose of any adjustment is to ensure that the fees cover the Director’s enforcement and regulatory costs.
Section 2. Section 1 of this ordinance shall take effect on July 1, 2020.
Section 3. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its approval by the Mayor, but if not approved and returned by the Mayor within ten days after presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Section 1.04.020.
Passed by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2019, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of _________________________, 2019.
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President ____________ of the City Council
Approved by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2019.
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Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2019.
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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)