CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE establishing a spending plan for proposed use of the proceeds generated from the payroll expense tax authorized by the ordinance introduced as Council Bill 119810 establishing an oversight committee; and adding a new Section 3.35.100 to the Seattle Municipal Code.
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WHEREAS, the City Council ("Council") adopted the ordinance introduced as Council Bill 119810, authorizing the collection of a new payroll expense tax ("payroll tax") to be imposed beginning January 2021; and
WHEREAS, on November 2, 2015, the Mayor issued a Proclamation of Civil Emergency to address the homelessness crisis in the City of Seattle; and
WHEREAS, on November 3, 2015, the City Council adopted Resolution 31630, ratifying and confirming the Mayoral Proclamation of Civil Emergency; and
WHEREAS, the Civil Emergency to address the homelessness crisis is still in effect today; and
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is officially a global pandemic; and
WHEREAS, on February 29, 2020 the Washington Governor issued Proclamation 20-05, proclaiming a state of emergency for all counties throughout the state of Washington in response to new cases of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020 the President of the United States declared a national state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, on March 25, 2020 the Washington Governor issued Proclamation 20-25, prohibiting all people in Washington State from leaving their homes and all non-essential businesses in Washington State from conducting business ("Stay Home - Stay Healthy Proclamation"); and
WHEREAS, these actions are appropriate for public health reasons but result in severe economic impacts on families and individuals in Seattle; and
WHEREAS, these impacts are felt most strongly by people with low incomes who have become unemployed or had their w...
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