The Kent City Council unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday night to support a King County property tax levy on the Nov. 3 ballot called Best Starts for Kids.
The purpose of the levy, known as Proposition No. 1, is to raise $65 million per year for six years to improve the physical, social and environmental factors that influence children from birth (including services for pregnant mothers) up to the age of 24. The cost of the levy is 14 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation or about $42 per year for the owner of a $300,000 house, according to county reports.
“The research that we have seen shows that if we can reach children early in their lives we will be able to avoid much public cost further on in their lives,” City Councilman Dennis Higgins said. “They do show up today in the schools of our city not prepared to learn. Often this leads to bad outcomes that cost many times what we are proposing to spend here.”
Fifty percent of the revenue would go toward early childhood development programs for children up to age 5. About 35 percent would go toward programs that assist kids and adults ages 6 through 24, 10 percent would go to community programs aimed at improving health, social and economic outcomes, and 5 percent would be used for “evaluation, data collection and program improvement,” according to a media release from King County Executive Dow Constantine.
“There is not enough we can do for our kids,” City Councilman Bill Boyce said. “The sooner we can reach out and be able to help kids in need … the better we are going to be. I wholeheartedly support this.”
Mike Heinisch, executive director of the Kent Youth and Family Services, was one of two people who spoke in support of the levy at the council meeting. Nobody spoke against the proposition.
“This is an once-in-a-generation opportunity for the voters of King County and an once in a lifetime for the kids in King County,” Heinisch said. “This is $65 million for children. It’s a tremendous opportunity. And much of it is going to come to South King County.”
King County Councilman Reagan Dunn, whose district includes parts of Kent, was the only County Council member who opposed sending the measure to voters. Dunn isn’t against what the levy funds, but has concerns about the impact of another property tax levy on other taxing districts, including hospital and fire districts. Valley Medical Center in Renton is funded through a hospital district.
The Legislature has put a cap of $5.90 per $1,000 of assessed valuation that can be collected by all taxing districts in a county. Counties, cities and road districts are known as senior districts and get first priority in levying the $5.90. So if that rate is reached, junior districts such as hospitals, would be the first to have levies reduced.
Critics of the kids’ levy state in the county voters’ pamphlet that the measure includes no specific details about how the money will be spent. The statement also points out the county street maintenance budget has a shortfall of more than $100 million and money should be spent on fixing streets before raising money for another service.
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