The Metropolitan King County Council today unanimously approved legislation sending the King County Veterans and Human Services Levy to the voters at the August primary election.
“The King County Veterans and Human Services has been unanimously approved by the Regional Policy Committee, the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee, and finally by the full Council,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson, who sponsored both the original legislation that sent the Veterans and Human Services Levy to the ballot in 2005 and the current proposal. “The issue now goes to the voters in August to decide if they want to continue investing in our veterans and human services.”
“Voters will be given the opportunity to decide whether they want to continue forward with the current levy, in which half of the proceeds would be dedicated exclusively for programs to assist veterans and their families,” said Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer, who has served in the U.S. Army.
“This is the reauthorization of an existing levy, which has served thousands of people and veterans throughout King County over the last six years,” said King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn, a co-sponsor of the legislation. “It is now up to the people of King County whether this program is to continue.”
If approved by the voters, the measure would continue the existing levy for an additional six years at the current rate of 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. Consistent with the current levy, half of the proceeds would be dedicated exclusively for programs to assist veterans and their families. The other half would support general human service programs available to all King County residents.
The ballot measure sets the same initial rate as the original 2005 Veterans and Human Services Levy, which was approved by County voters in 2005. The ballot measure specifies that levy growth will be tied to inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, with a floor of 1 percent and a ceiling of 3 percent.
The 2005 Veterans and Human Services Levy will expire on Dec. 31.
