(The Center Square) – King County Executive Dow Constantine is getting some pushback on his latest tax proposal to fund public health clinics.
The proposal aims to preserve access to clinical public health services by tying them to Harborview Medical Center.
If approved by the Metropolitan King County Council, the plan would send $25 million to 11 public health clinics spread across the county, and eliminate the need for them to be covered by the county’s general fund.
The proposal includes a tax of 8.5-cents per $1,000 of assessed property value that would raise an estimated $74.6 million for the 2025 budget.
During the 2024 legislative session, Constantine was successful in getting lawmakers to give counties the authority to raise property taxes to fund county-owned hospitals. Harborview is the only county-owned hospital in the state.
If public health clinics were to move under the authority of Harborview, they would be supported by funds raised by the county hospital-related property tax.
But at this point, Harborview officials don’t sound like they are sold on the marriage.
Harborview spokesperson Susan Gregg told The Center Square via email:
“Last Spring, the Washington State Legislature passed House Bill 2348. The bill expanded County taxing authority to support critical operating and capital needs of Harborview Medical Center, the community’s only Level I Trauma Center. This funding is critically needed to support Harborview’s patients.
Gregg’s email continued:
“The tax proposal provides some funding to Harborview, but also diverts funding intended for Harborview to public health clinics operated by the County and supported by the County’s general fund.”
Gregg concluded: “King County provides important public health services and we understand the County is confronting challenges with its general fund budget. However, we need a solution that does not come at the expense of Harborview’s mission and patients. We look forward to continuing to work with the County to find that solution.”
The 8.5-cent tax would cost the owner of an $880,000 home — the median price of a King County home according to an Aug. 2024 report from Redfin- an additional $75 a year.
King County collects property taxes for the state, the county, cities, and taxing districts like schools. Taxes also fund voter-approved measures for veterans, seniors, fire protection, and parks.
King County gets about 19% of your property taxes to fund services like roads, criminal justice, and public health.
Public Health King County serves an overwhelmingly low-income population, people without insurance, people who don’t speak English or are unhoused, often people who can pay little or nothing at all.
According to Constantine, those clinics provide care to nearly 80,000 people who often experience barriers in accessing and navigating the health care system, a vast majority of whom are Black, Indigenous, or other People of Color.
As previously reported by The Center Square, Constantine continues to fault Washington’s tax cap as the county prepares for a $35 million general fund shortfall in 2025.
Since 2001, the state has instituted a 1% annual cap on property tax increases and counties do not have the ability to impose business and utility taxes, unlike cities and the state.
