King County raises taxes to rebuild levees

King County residents will pay an additional $32 million in property taxes next year to rebuild levees that protect low-lying areas from floods.

County Council members, sitting as supervisors of the newly created King County Flood Control Zone District, voted today to levy a tax of 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The owner of a $400,000 home will pay $40 a year in taxes.

"We just don't want to be like New Orleans was after Hurricane Katrina. We don't want to have to count on the federal government. We want to handle this locally," said Councilmember Reagan Dunn, R-Maple Valley.

Councilmember Jane Hague, R-Bellevue, cast the only vote against the tax after her proposal for a reduced tax of 5 cents per $1,000 valuation was defeated. Hague proposed raising additional money from residents most affected by flooding.

"My district will export $20 million a year to support that effort when they've already done the capacity improvements to deal with flooding in their area," Hague said.

The council voted to allocate $1 of every $10 raised to support local flood-control projects outside the major river valleys, which are the focus of the new countywide district.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com