Seattle council members’ tax plan targets top 5 percent

SEATTLE – A couple of Seattle City Council members have gained the blessing of Mayor Ed Murray on a draft ordinance to impose a citywide income tax.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported Kshama Sawant and Lisa Herbold on Monday rolled out their proposal to put a 2 percent tax on income more than $250,000 for single filers and $500,000 for joint filers in Seattle.

They say the goal would be to reduce other, more regressive taxes on city residents while also reducing dependence on federal dollars that remain threatened under President Donald Trump’s administration.

The tax reportedly would generate about $125 million annually, coming from just 5 percent of residents. That would cover more than two years of the city’s current budget for homelessness.

Opponents have said the measure would be struck down in court.