CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the levy of property taxes; fixing the rates and/or amounts of taxes to be levied, and levying the same upon all taxable property, both real and personal, in The City of Seattle, to finance the departments and activities of City government and to provide for the general obligation bond interest and redemption requirements for the year beginning on the first day of January 2021; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts; and, by a vote of a majority plus one of the Seattle City Council, finding a substantial need to use, and providing for the use of, 101% as the regular property tax limit factor.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. General Municipal and Firefighters’ Pension.
A. There is levied a tax on all taxable property, both real and personal, within The City of Seattle and subject to taxation under the laws of the State of Washington in the amount of $946,639,680, which is calculated as $3.60 per $1,000 of estimated assessed value of all taxable property in the city. This tax is levied for the purpose of raising revenue to finance the various departments and activities of the municipal government of The City of Seattle for the fiscal (calendar) year 2021. The following sentence is provided for information only. This levy has been calculated at the following dollar rates per $1,000 of assessed value: $3.375 for general municipal purposes as allowed by RCW 84.52.043 (which includes up to $0.225 for the Firemen’s Pension Fund as allowed by RCW 41.16.060); and $0.225 for general municipal purposes and the Firemen’s Pension Fund as allowed by RCW 41.16.060. This levy includes an amount of $100,000 or the highest lawful amount as the King County Assessor may certify, whichever is higher, to recover amounts refunded within the preceding 12 months. This levy also includes an amount of $99,845,955 for transportation purposes in accordance with Ordinance 124796; an amount of $3,000,000 for election vouchers funding purposes in accordance with Resolution 31601 and Seattle Municipal Code Sections 2.04.600-696; an amount of $41,428,571 for low-income housing purposes in accordance with Ordinance 125028; an amount of $87,626,590 for education purposes in accordance with Ordinance 125604; and an amount of $30,674,777 for library maintenance and services in accordance with Ordinance 125809.
B. If the total of the amounts of taxes stated in subsection 1.A or the total of the tax rate stated in subsection 1.A would be in excess of any maximum allowed by law, then such taxes shall be reduced to the maximum amount allowed. The maximum amount allowed by law includes the maximum amount of regular property taxes approved by vote of the people of The City of Seattle pursuant to RCW 84.55.050. For purposes of this subsection, the maximum amount of regular property taxes is determined by the King County Assessor as follows. First, the Assessor determines the amount of regular City property taxes that could be levied for collection in 2021 had the voters approved none of the levy lid lift measures submitted pursuant to RCW 84.55.050, Seattle Municipal Code Sections 2.04.600-696, and Ordinances 124796, 125028, 125604, and 125809. This amount is computed by the Assessor by multiplying the amount of general purpose regular property taxes levied for collection in 2020 by a limit factor. The limit factor is the lesser of 101 percent or 100 percent plus the rate of inflation, unless, pursuant to RCW 84.55.0101, the Council finds that there is a substantial need to use and approves the use of 101 percent as the regular property tax limit factor. Second, the Assessor adds the levy for tax refunds authorized by RCW 84.68.040, RCW 84.69.180, and RCW 84.55.070; plus the allowance authorized by RCW 84.55.010 for new construction, increases in assessed value due to construction of electric generation wind turbine facilities classified as personal property, improvements to property, and any increase in the assessed value of state-assessed property. Then, to that total amount is added the five dollar amounts set forth in the last sentence of subsection 1.A authorized for 2021 collection in the approvals given by the voters of the City pursuant to RCW 84.55.050 and those enumerated ordinances.
Section 2. Pursuant to RCW 84.55.0101, and in the face of significant revenue losses projected into 2021 and additional costs resulting from the health and economic effects of the corona virus pandemic, the City Council finds that there is a substantial need to use and approves the use of 101% as the regular property tax limit factor for regular property taxes to be collected in 2021.
Section 3. Voter-approved excess taxes for bonds. In addition, a further tax is levied to raise revenue to provide for the interest on and redemption of voter-approved general obligation bonds for the fiscal year 2021 in the amount of $22,764,200. This tax is applicable to all taxable property within The City of Seattle.
Section 4. The several provisions of this ordinance are declared to be separate and severable and the invalidity of any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section, subsection, or portion of this ordinance, or the invalidity of the application thereof to any person, property, or circumstance, shall not affect the validity of the remainder of this ordinance or the validity of its application to other persons, property, or circumstances.
Section 5. Any act pursuant to the authority of this ordinance taken after its passage and prior to its effective date is ratified and confirmed.
Section 6. 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 _________________________, 2020, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of _________________________, 2020.
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President ____________ of the City Council
Approved by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2020.
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Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2020.
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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)