Let local leaders lead: Repeal Eyman’s levy lift lid.
King County is staring down a fiscal cliff that threatens to dismantle the services our communities rely on most. We are facing a projected General Fund shortfall of roughly $150 million for the 2026-2027 biennium, and this is not a result of mismanagement or a temporary glitch. It is a structural failure that has been manufactured by the state.
For decades, the arbitrary 1% cap on property tax revenue growth has strangled our ability to keep up with basic costs. While inflation and population growth have soared, our revenue has been artificially suppressed. We are being asked to run a 2026 county on a 2001 revenue model, and the math simply does not work without new tools.
This is why the state legislature must pass House Bill 2442.
For over a decade, local leaders have been asking for the authority to do more than the incremental 0.01% tax increases we are currently limited to. We have been asking for the toolbox to fix our own house. HB 2442 grants us that authority and allows local governments to explore new revenue options, such as utility taxes or expanded excise taxes, that can actually keep pace with the cost of providing services.
As a Port Commissioner and a candidate for King County Council District 2, I see clearly that our values of equity and justice are facing a mathematical reality check. To the readers of The Urbanist who understand that density and transit must be paired with robust public services, I want to be clear that HB 2442 is not a silver bullet. It will not solve every financial woe overnight. But it provides the one thing King County has been begging for, which is flexibility.
The state should understand the need to plug a critical funding hole, as they’re fighting right now to pass the Millionaire Tax in order to help fill their own deficit. It is long overdue that the wealthiest among us pay their fair share to fund our schools and statewide infrastructure. But, a state wealth tax fixes the state’s budget deficit; it does not automatically fill the hole in King County’s General Fund. We cannot wait for a trickle-down solution from Olympia to save our local clinics, our public defenders, our transit operators, and the vital services we depend upon.
We need both solutions: We need the state to fix its own regressive tax code, and we also need it to pass HB 2442 and let King County save itself.
If the legislature doesn’t pass HB 2442, the county won’t just face trimming fat. It would mean scaling back public health services in a post-pandemic world and the loss of vital jobs supporting our most vulnerable residents. The status quo, one-size-fits-all tax cap is suffocating the economic engine of Washington State. We have the solutions, and we have the political will locally to make hard choices and invest in our future and workforce. What we lack is permission.
I urge the legislature to move HB 2442 forward immediately. Let us build a budget that reflects our values, protects our workers, and ensures that King County remains a place where working families can not only survive but thrive.
Send public comment to state legislators and track bill progress on the HB 2442 page.
Toshiko Grace Hasegawa is president of the Seattle Port Commission. She is a fourth-generation Japanese American and a lifelong resident of the Beacon Hill neighborhood in South Seattle. A daughter of the labor movement and descendant of World War II incarcerees, Toshiko's passion for public service is fueled by her commitment to civil rights and promoting fairness in government operations.
