AN ORDINANCE relating to taxation; delaying the effective date of the heating oil tax on heating oil service providers under Chapter 5.47 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and delaying the date of the Office of Sustainability and Environment’s first annual heating oil tax program status report.
We have seven items in front of us today. Will the clerk please read the first one into the record? Agenda Item one Council Bill one 2270 relating to taxation delaying the effective date of the heating oil tax on heating oil service providers under Chapter 5.47 of the Sound Fiscal Code and delaying the date of the Office of Sustainability and Environment First Annual Heating Oil Tax Status Report. Apologize for that on camera. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I moved to pass Council Bill 1201278. Thank you. So, second. Thank you. Thank you. It's been moved and seconded. Councilmember Morales. It's all your. I'll you. All you. Thank you. Council President, colleagues, we received a very helpful memo from our central staff member, Yolanda Ho. But just in summary, we have twice now delayed the heating oil tax. So I want to we have at least one new colleague. So just want to give a little bit of background. And we did have a heating oil tax proposed. We delayed it twice. The idea here is that revenue from this heating oil tax would be used to support transition to heat pumps away from from oil, particularly supporting low income families and making that transition revenue would also provide important job training programs for workers who would be adversely impacted by a shift away from fossil fuels and would also provide public education on reducing reliance on fossil fuels. I do want to thank the staff at the Office for Sustainability and Environment. They've been doing a lot of hard work on these programs and on trying to help understand the best way for the city to move forward. And I don't want I want to make sure folks understand that I'm very supportive of the programs themselves. But I have heard from families in my district, at least, who are very concerned about the expense of a heating oil conversion, worried that it would be cost prohibitive for them even with the support that would be offered by this program. I know that the Office of Sustainability and Environment folks see this as a tax on oil dealers and on just the notion of dirty oil. But the reality is that this would very likely get passed on to families. And so the proposed delay would put a pause on some of the activities mentioned. But we do have a jumpstart fund funds. The Jumpstart spending plan allocates 9% of tax proceeds for investments to advance Green New Deal initiatives. The Green New Deal Advisory Board was recently seated and is beginning its work. So when I spoke with O.C. and with the board advisor, the staff specifically, as we indicated, that the board, you know, this could be something that they include in their discussion and in their recommendations for the 2023 budget process. So again, I want to be clear, I'm not objecting to the program itself. I think it's important that we move Seattleites away from a reliance on fossil fuel to more efficient, sustainable heating and cooling. But I am asking for a pause on implementation of this tax because it is a regressive tax and we need an opportunity to find a different revenue source. So I'm happy to take questions if there are any questions. But but I do think that we need to make sure we have state and local systems set up to help those who can't afford this conversion and can't afford to pay the tax. And we aren't quite there yet. So I'm hoping for basically maintaining status quo while we give the Green New Deal Oversight Board an opportunity to study this and bring some recommendations to us. Thank you, Casper Morales. Are there any questions for Councilmember Morales? All right. Not seeing any. Will the clerk please call the roll? Also member Lewis. Yes. Councilmember Morales. Yes. Councilmember must get off I. Councilmember Nelson. Hi. Councilmember Pierson. Hi. Councilmember Strouse. Yes. Councilmember Herbold. Yes. And Council President Suarez. I eight in favor and unopposed. Thank you. The motion carries, the bill passes and the chair will sign. It will Leclerc, please. To fix my signature to the legislation. So let's move on to item number two. Councilmember Herbold but in a minute. Clerk Can you please read that into the record? Agenda item to the Council Bill one 2272 Relating to staffing shortages in the Community Safety Communication Center and the Seattle Police Department retroactively authorizing a one month Irene bonus incentive program for Harry 911 dispatchers and police officers and ratifying confirming certain prior acts.