Seattle library levy to $480M, more than doubling tax funding headed to August ballot

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson signed a proposal to replace the expiring 2019 library levy with a seven-year, $480 million levy, sending it to voters in August. The plan would allocate $229 million to maintain library hours and access, $134 million for building maintenance, and $38 million for technology upgrades. In its first year, property taxes would rise by about 19 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, with the overall rate estimated at $3 per $1,000. The Seattle City Council approved the measure unanimously before Wilson’s signature.