A proposed cap on Seattle's share of a new countywide transportation tax would cut the city's annual pass-through funding by more than half.

$2.76 million per year would be allocated to other cities, according to the King County Transportation District board, who are meeting to vote on Friday, June 12, at 1:00 p.m.

For residents in Ballard, Queen Anne, and Magnolia who will pay the new 0.1% sales tax, the math is stark: Seattle would receive roughly $2 per capita in pass-through road funding under the cap, compared to $6–$8 per capita for most other King County cities, according to the King County Transportation District's own fiscal analysis.

District 7: Seattle City Council member Bob Kettle (D7, Queen Anne/Magnolia) was not among the signatories of an eight-member council letter opposing the cap, according to reporting by The Urbanist, but verbally aligned himself with its message on Tuesday, June 10. Kettle called the cap "shortsighted on the part of the King County Council," adding: "If you want to go down the route of looking at what pays what and this kind of thing, they'll find that Seattle is basically subsidizing in a lot of areas of King County."

District 6: Seattle City Council member Dan Strauss (D6, Ballard/Crown Hill/Fremont) has not publicly stated his position on the cap.

The proposal

Proposed Resolution TD2026-01 would impose a 0.1% countywide sales tax projected to generate $101.9 million annually, primarily to fund King County's roughly 1,500 miles of unincorporated roads facing years of deferred maintenance. A 12.5% pass-through program, called the Cities Transportation Improvement Program (CTIP), would direct approximately $12.7 million per year to incorporated cities.

Amendment S1, sponsored by King County Council member Steffanie Fain (South King County), caps any single city's CTIP share at 15%. Only Seattle hits that ceiling. The city accounts for 37.78% of the county's incorporated population (816,600 residents) but would receive just 4.96% of pass-through funds under the cap, according to King County fiscal materials.

The $2.76 million diverted from Seattle would flow to other cities. Under the cap, small wealthy Eastside communities would receive disproportionate per-capita amounts: Hunts Point (455 residents) would get $13,534; Yarrow Point (1,130 residents) would get $18,778; Beaux Arts Village (310 residents) would get $12,408.

The opposition

Eight of nine Seattle City Council members approved a letter Tuesday, June 10, opposing the cap. The letter, led by citywide Council member Alexis Mercedes Rinck (Position 8, vice-chair of the council's transportation committee), asked King County to remove "the binding cap that solely impacts City of Seattle."

King County Council member Jorge Barón, who represents Northwest Seattle including Ballard, has publicly opposed the cap on the county board. King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski (Northeast Seattle/Shoreline) said he does not support any cap, calling it "punitive" and noting Seattle contributes "north of 40%" of the tax receipts.

The Seattle Street Alliance issued an action alert Wednesday, June 11, calling the cap "unacceptable."

The nine-member Transportation District board needs a simple majority. Even if all four King County Council members representing parts of Seattle oppose the cap, they need one additional vote from the five members representing districts outside the city. Board Chair Claudia Balducci, who represents Eastside cities, proposed an alternate framework last month that would have allowed broader use of pass-through funds, but has not publicly stated how she will vote on the cap.

King County Council member Rhonda Lewis (Ravenna to Rainier Beach/Skyway) has indicated support for a cap, according to The Urbanist. Council member Teresa Mosqueda (West Seattle/Vashon/Burien) has not publicly stated her position.

The Transportation District board has no second reading or amendment process after a final vote, and County Executive Girmay Zahilay has no veto authority over the measure.

What happens next

The King County Transportation District votes on Proposed Resolution TD2026-01 on Friday, June 12, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. The meeting is listed on King County Council's Legistar page (Meeting ID 1421746). The tax does not require voter approval.