SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan says the city could "correct a historic inequity" by abolishing library fines for overdue items as part of a $213 million new property-tax levy.
The Seattle Times reports Durkan made the pitch Wednesday as she unveiled a proposal to replace a library levy expiring at the end of this year with a larger version.
Under her plan, a seven-year, $213 million property-tax levy would take the place of the expiring seven-year, $123 million levy that supplements the library system's regular budget.
The mayor's office says the new levy would cost the owner of a home of median assessed value about $7 per month, or about $1.58 per month more than the existing levy.
The City Council intends to review Durkan's proposal starting March 28 and could send a plan to the Aug. 6 ballot.