Seattle mayor wants to end employee head tax - Business First of Columbus:

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Nickels proposed the $25-per-employee tax in 2006 as one of threee elements of a package to fund local stree repair andadd sidewalks, bicycle lanes and other Repealing it would reducew funding for the “Bridging the Gap” program by about $4.7 “It’s Economics 101: when you tax you get less of it, and we want more jobs in said Council President Conlin. Reaction from the business communit ywas swift. “This tax representa an ‘unwelcome mat’ for business, and it’x past time that the city rolleedit up,” said Kate Joncas, president of the , which opposed the tax from the beginning.
“Taxingy new employees in Seattle sends the wrong messagwe to businesses looking to grow and businesses looking to relocate toour city,” she The also supported the “It sends a clear message that elected officialw are targeting specific actions to retain and create a job-growing economy,” said Chambere President & CEO Phil Bussey. “We applaud Mayor Nickels and Councilmemberes Burgess and Conlin for their leadership and will be working with council to see it The employee head tax has becomed a hot issue inthis year’s races. At a recenyt Downtown Seattle Associationcandidate forum, many candidatews talked about repealing the tax.
It’s also a relatively easy target. The employed head tax, which applies only to employeed who drive to work most of the has been bringing in less monegythan expected. Meanwhile, the commercial parking tax, whicjh will increase to 10 percent onJuly 1, has been bringing in more moneh than expected. And a nine-year, $365 millio n property tax levy remainwsin place.