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Seattle's showdown over head tax
00000181-fa79-da89-a38d-fb7f2c120000Seattle is in the midst of a struggle with affordable housing and a rising homelessness crisis. The City Council is considering a proposal to have large businesses help pick up the tab on these issues with an employee tax, more commonly known as the head tax.The tax would force big employers to pay the city of Seattle for each employee and every hour worked. It's expected to raise $75 million.

A compromise on Seattle's head tax, but how will the money be spent?

KUOW | By Bill Radke,
Amina Al-Sadi
Published May 14, 2018 at 2:35 PM AKDT
Seattleites packed a City Hall meeting on Monday, where a vote on the contentious head tax was expected.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
Seattleites packed a City Hall meeting on Monday, where a vote on the contentious head tax was expected.

A compromise has been struck over the controversial proposedHead Tax by the Seattle City Council.Over the weekend Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez worked with Mayor Jenny Durkan to come up with a plan they could both support. The new plan would raise an estimated $50 million a year instead of the original $75 million.

And the tax would expire after 5 years.

So will the compromise be enough to please both sides?Crosscut's David Kroman explains.
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Bill Radke
Year started with KUOW: 1985 – 1986, 1991 – 2004, 2012
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Amina Al-Sadi
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