King County to Ask Voters for $1 Billion in Taxes for Climate Change

King County officials at planning to send voters a request for a levy lift lid in 2024, that would exceed the state law on property tax increases.

King County wants to raise $1 billion towards climate change

The King County Council is deciding whether to choose a six or nine-year levy to raise the money.  Despite evidence they cannot track all of the previous climate change funds that have been spent, the county plans to ask for more.

  According to The Center Square:

"The county stated that it is difficult to quantify the exact amount of climate-related expenditures it currently undertakes. However, some notable climate-related expenditures made by King County in the 2024-2024 budget include: $180 million to purchase battery-electric buses and $43 million in zero-emissions infrastructure to ensure that King County Metro’s 1,400 coach bus fleet is zero emissions by 2035."

Several other projects from the County's 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan included spending millions on a county Office of Climate Change, and millions on 'capital investments' to remove fish habitat blockages.

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Current state law only allows a one percent annual increase in property taxes,  a levy lift is when a government entity asks the public to allow beyond that.

The King County proposals would increase property values, for example, on an $800,000 home by $92 per year for nine years, or $148 a year for the six-year plan.

The information released by the county did not include a specific list of projects that would be funded by this increase.