King County Council sends renewal of Veterans and Human Services Levy to the voters on August primary ballot

According to the King County Communications Office, the Metropolitan King County Council unanimously approved legislation earlier this month sending the King County Veterans and Human Services Levy to the voters at the August primary election.

““The levy is a dedicated investment in critical services for King County veterans and families in need, which is more important than ever in these tough economic times,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson.  "King County Veterans and Human Services has been unanimously approved by the Regional Policy Committee, the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee, and finally by the full Council.” 

Councilmember Ferguson sponsored both the original legislation that sent the Veterans and Human Services Levy to the ballot in 2005 and the current proposal. “The issue now goes to the voters in August to decide if they want to continue investing in our veterans and human services.”

If approved by the voters, the measure would continue the existing levy for an additional six years at the current rate of 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. Consistent with the current levy, half of the proceeds would be dedicated exclusively for programs to assist veterans and their families. The other half would support general human service programs available to all King County residents.

The ballot measure sets the same initial rate as the original 2005 Veterans and Human Services Levy, which was approved by County voters in 2005. The ballot measure specifies that levy growth will be tied to inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, with a floor of 1 percent and a ceiling of 3 percent.

The 2005 Veterans and Human Services Levy will expire on December 31, 2011.