CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the Sweetened Beverage Tax; amending Section 5.53.055 of the Seattle Municipal Code to remove obsolete guidance on use of proceeds and remove non-supplantation funding provisions.
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WHEREAS, the Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax has provided funding in the Department of Education and Early Learning for programs to improve the social, emotional, educational, physical, and mental health of children, including prenatal-to-age-three, home visiting programs, and child care assistance, pursuant to Seattle Municipal Code subsection 5.53.055.B.2; and
WHEREAS, the 2025 Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy, if approved by voters on November 4, 2025, will provide funding for early childhood programming, such as affordable childcare and preschool for Seattle children and their families, including but not limited to: financial support for families, early childhood health and development services such as home-visiting programs, and home nurse programs that offer prenatal support; and
WHEREAS, the 2026 Proposed Budget therefore shifts funding for such early childhood and childcare programs from the Sweetened Beverage Tax to the 2025 FEPP Levy; and
WHEREAS, support for food banks and meal services is provided by The City of Seattle through the Human Services Department and has been funded by a combination of Sweetened Beverage Tax and General Fund revenues; and
WHEREAS, long-term estimated General Fund revenues are insufficient to support existing levels of funding for food programs in the Human Services Department; and
WHEREAS, shifting funding for early childhood programming from the Sweetened Beverage Tax to the FEPP Levy provides capacity for the Sweetened Beverage Tax Fund to further support food and meal programs in the Human Services Department that are currently being funded by the General Fund, making all investments more sustainable in the fut...
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