SEATTLE — When King County residents vote on Aug. 17, they won’t see a property tax increase proposal to keep police, courts and other services at current levels.
The King County Council voted 5-4 Tuesday in favor of putting the measure on the primary ballot. But that fell short of the required six votes needed to pass an emergency ballot ordinance just 84 days before the election.
The proposal from the council’s Democrats failed just one day after the council rejected County Executive Dow Constantine’s plan to close a $60 million budget gap with a two-tenths of a percentage point increase in the sales tax.
Republican council members oppose both, saying Constantine hasn’t done enough to roll back labor costs or reduce other spending.
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