Vacant Storefronts Tax gets 'Do Not Pass' recommendation, 3-2

Receipts

• Introduced. June 30, 2026 by Chair Rinck, co-sponsored by Councilmember Foster.
• Original fiscal note. $48M projected annual revenue (FY27 estimate).
• Amendment 1. July 8 in HSLED. Stripped the per-square-foot enforcement schedule. Adopted 4-1.
• Amendment 2. July 22 in HSLED. Expanded exemptions to include storefronts under "active marketing," which was not defined in the ordinance. Adopted 3-2.
• Revised fiscal note. $17M projected annual revenue (Council Central Staff memo).
• Final committee vote. July 22, 2026. HSLED voted 3-2 to recommend ‘Do Not Pass’ to full Council.
• Full Council final vote scheduled. July 28, 2026.

What goes in does not come out the same

As introduced, CB 121888 was a vacancy tax with teeth. According to the revised Central Staff memo, the legislation as amended would impose a vacancy tax yielding projected revenue of $17M. The cost to set up the tax collection system is estimated at $3.4M over two years, during which time storefront tenancy could change. As a result, the vacancy tax would not only generate far less revenue than anticipated, the amounts collected would likely vary widely from year to year, making it a volatile funding source of affordable housing.

In a 3-2 vote, HSLED recommended 'Do Not Pass' on the Vacant Storefronts Tax (CB 121888). Final vote in City Council scheduled for July 28, allowing three weeks to sweeten the bill with a new round of amendments.

How the room voted

NO (recommend against): Hollingsworth, Juarez, Saka. YES (recommend pass): Rinck, Foster. ABS: 0.

Sources

Sample edition. CB 121888 and the July 22 HSLED vote are illustrative demo facts. Live dispatches will link to the actual Legistar record, Seattle Channel meeting video, and Central Staff memo PDF.

• Seattle Legistar bill record example only
• Seattle Channel: Human Services, Labor & Economic Development Committee, July 22, 2026 example only
• Revised Central Staff memo example only