Staff brief council on $1.5 billion proposed King County parks levy; members raise equity and timeline concerns

King County Council staff on March 12 briefed the Regional Policy Committee on a proposed six-year parks levy that would generate approximately $1.5 billion over the levy period if placed before voters. Staff described the levy as a multi-year temporary levy lid lift with an initial rate of 24.43¢ per $1,000 of assessed valuation and an annual limit factor equal to the prior year’s consumer price index change plus estimated population growth.

The briefing summarized funding categories and specific “off-the-top” allocations the executive proposes and flagged policy choices the council must consider before transmitting or modifying the ballot measure. Staff also outlined a timeline for committee action, including a special RPC meeting on April 3 at 9:00 a.m. for potential committee action and an August 5, 2025 ballot date if the council approves placement.

Why it matters

The proposed levy would roughly double available parks levy revenue compared with the current levy (current levy forecasted to generate about $851 million over six years). The renewal would affect operations and maintenance, capital projects, grants to local jurisdictions, and off-the-top payments to civic venues; it would also alter household property tax obligations for county homeowners.

Key numbers and structure

- Total (proposed): staff estimate about $1,500,000,000 over six years if the levy is approved by voters. - Initial levy rate: 24.43¢ per $1,000 of assessed value; limit factor = CPI change + estimated population growth. - Comparison: current levy had an initial rate of 18.32¢ and is forecast to generate about $851,000,000 over six years; a status-quo roll-forward would have produced an effective rate near 19.52¢ next year, staff said. - Household impact (median King County single-family home): staff used a median assessed value of $844,000 and estimated the initial proposed levy would cost about $206 annually; the effective current levy rate is about $166 annually, a difference of roughly $40 per year (~$3.30/month).

Off-the-top allocations called out in the proposed ordinance

- Woodland Park Zoo: up to $42,000,000…