CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE related to creating a fund for Sweetened Beverage Tax revenues; adding a new Section 5.53.055 to the Seattle Municipal Code; and providing additional guidelines for expending proceeds.
body
WHEREAS, on June 5, 2017, the City Council passed Ordinance 125324, imposing a tax on engaging in the business of distributing sweetened beverages ("Sweetened Beverage Tax"), with specific direction on how the proceeds generated from the Sweetened Beverage Tax should be expended; and
WHEREAS, services funded by the proceeds of the Sweetened Beverage Tax are intended to expand access to healthy and affordable food; close the food security gap; promote healthy nutrition choices; reduce disparities in social, developmental, and education readiness and learning for children; assist high school graduates to enter college; and expand services for the birth-to-five population and their families; and
WHEREAS, on November 19, 2018, the City Council passed Ordinance 125718, amending Section 3 of Ordinance 125324 concerning use of proceeds of the Sweetened Beverage Tax, to account for higher revenue projections; and
WHEREAS, this legislation is not intended to reduce funding for any impacted programs, and the Executive and City Council are expected to identify other funding sources to maintain full funding for these programs; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. A new Sweetened Beverage Tax Fund is created in the City Treasury effective January 1, 2020, to which proceeds remitted to The City of Seattle ("City") from revenues collected from the Sweetened Beverage Tax must be deposited, and from which expenditures may be paid for purposes described in Section 3 of Ordinance 125324, as amended. The purpose of creating the Sweetened Beverage Tax Fund is to separately account for revenues received from the tax and expended by City departments.
Se...
Click here for full text