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Council debate over Fresh Bucks expansion: advocates urge lift while some members caution on levy scope
Summary
Amendment 5 proposed adding roughly $2 million per year to the FEP levy to expand Fresh Bucks food vouchers for low‑income households; supporters said the program addresses food security and supports local grocers and farmers, while others said the program is not exclusively child‑focused and questioned whether levy funds or other revenue sources
Vice Chair Rehnke (sponsor) introduced amendment 5 to the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise levy to expand Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program, a healthy‑food voucher initiative. Central staff summarized the request: the amendment would add about $2 million annually (roughly $12 million total across the levy term) to expand Fresh Bucks; staff said Fresh Bucks currently serves about 12,000 households, has a wait list of over 4,000 households and is funded through the sweetened beverage tax and general fund dollars.
In committee and public comment, advocates argued Fresh…
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