Shoreline City Council unanimously backs King County Proposition 1 parks levy

The Shoreline City Council voted unanimously on Monday, June 9, to adopt Resolution 5 46 supporting King County Proposition 1, a six-year parks, recreation, trails and open-space levy that would be funded by a property tax and include pass-through funding to cities.

City staff told the council Shoreline’s projected share from the levy is just over $3,000,000 over the six years and that the county’s proposal includes a $5,000,000 capital allocation earmarked as a potential contribution toward a Shoreline aquatic facility if the city pursues voter approval for such a project.

Jim Hammond, who identified himself as a member of the Shoreline City Manager’s Office, presented the staff report and described Proposition 1 as a levy to operate and maintain the King County parks system and to fund a range of regional investments, including Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, the downtown waterfront park and renovation work at Seattle Center’s Memorial Stadium. Hammond said the initial levy rate is 23.29 cents per $1,000 of assessed value and that the levy rate would vary annually based on population, inflation and tax-base growth. He said the city’s staff estimate translates that levy rate, on an average Shoreline home priced at roughly $710,000, to about $165 per year, or just under $14 per month.

No members of the public offered in-person or Zoom comments on the resolution during the council’s public comment period. Deputy Mayor Mark moved to approve Resolution 5 46; a second was not recorded in the public transcript. The clerk recorded unanimous approval. The transcript records affirmative votes by the council members whose names were read during the roll call at the vote; the motion passed unanimously.

Hammond and council members also reminded the council that because this is a ballot measure the council’s action is an expression of municipal support rather than a binding appropriation. Hammond noted constraints on council action regarding ballot measures and that the resolution was placed on the agenda at the mayor’s request without a staff recommendation.

The council’s support makes Shoreline one of the municipalities formally urging approval of the county levy; the measure would only take effect if approved by King County voters. If voters approve Proposition 1, Shoreline staff said the city would receive the projected pass-through funds and could choose, through its own public and budget processes, whether to pursue ballot measures or capital projects such as the aquatic facility that might use those funds.

Votes at a glance: Resolution 5 46 (support King County Proposition 1) — Moved by Deputy Mayor Mark; outcome: approved unanimously; yes votes recorded for the council members present; no recorded objections.

The council moved on to other business after the vote and did not take additional action on Proposition 1 at the June 9 meeting.