Seattle panel authorizes 0.1% public‑safety sales tax; council votes 8–1 to advance bill

The Seattle Select Budget Committee on Oct. 8 voted 8–1 to advance Council Bill 121083, authorizing the city to impose a 0.1 percentage‑point local sales tax to fund public‑safety programs. Chair Dan Strauss moved the recommendation and the committee sent the bill to the full City Council for final consideration at the Oct. 14 meeting.

The bill authorizes the tax; it does not appropriate money. "The bill that you're looking at today would authorize the city to impose this tax," Tom Meiksel of Central Staff told the committee, adding, "the tax, as Tom will explain, has somewhat limited uses at a technical level, but because of opportunities to supplant it, it's effectively a general fund resource." Meiksel and Director Ben Noble said the state Department of Revenue requires council action before Oct. 18 for the city to collect a full year of revenue in 2026.

Why it matters: The executive's preliminary forecast, cited by central staff, estimates roughly $39 million in revenue in 2026 if the tax is adopted and implemented on the timeline presented. Mayor and executive budget proposals assign that revenue to public safety priorities in the 2026 budget; committee members emphasized that authorizing the tax now preserves revenue…