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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Some fee increases in Mayor's 2004 budget
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
9/22/2003 5:00:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Office of the Mayor (206) 684-4000
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Some Fee Increases in Mayor's 2004 Proposed Budget
Seattle - Mayor Greg Nickels announced today his proposed 2004 budget includes some fee increases. "These are tough times and they require making tough choices. My 2004 proposed budget continues to protect basic services as much as possible. In order to do that, I took a hard look at the fees the city imposes and made some adjustments."
The mayor's 2004 proposed budget will include some fee increases or new fees, mostly aimed at either keeping up with inflation, or recovering or defraying costs.
Fee increases are proposed in support of the Seattle Department of Transportation's overall transportation management program:
- Fees will increase for those who tear up city streets for construction and utility work to both ensure streets are not blocked any longer than necessary and the city recovers costs of using city right of ways.
- Street Utility Cut Fee. In 2004, utility-cut-restoration fees will increase an average of 6 percent, in line with projected cost increases. The fees cover restoring pavement after it has been opened by private or public utilities and are set at a level designed to recover actual costs. This will result in up to $270,000 additional revenues during 2004.
- Right of Way Management. In 2004, street-use fees will increase to recover the costs of permitting, as well as discourage prolonged use or occupation of the right of way. The permit fee will increase to $135 or $165 (depending on the type of permit) from $79 and $94, respectively; the hourly rate will increase to $150/hour from $123/hour; and a daily fee will be charged based on square foot usage. The increases in fees will result in approximately $1.2 million in additional revenues.
- Parking rates at single-space electronic meters will be increased from the current $1 an hour to $1.50 an hour over the course of 2004. This increase addresses inflation over the last 13 years, when meter rates were last increased. The hourly parking rate also serves as a tool for managing short-term parking and reducing incidents of meter feeding, as well as reducing congestion in travel lanes caused by drivers seeking on-street parking. This increase is estimated to result in approximately $1.8 million additional paid at parking meters in 2004.
The mayor's 2004 proposed budget also establishes fees for burglar and fire alarm licenses. "I believe these fees are necessary to defray the costs of response by both the Seattle Police and Seattle Fire Department to false or unintentional alarms," Nickels said.
In 2002, more than 98 percent of the dispatched alarm calls for police service were deemed false. In 2001, more than 75 percent of the dispatched alarm calls for fire service were deemed false, unintentional, or a system malfunction. Historically the costs of this response has been paid by the city's general fund.
Alarm monitoring companies will pay a $40 annual license fee for monitored burglar alarms; a $320 annual fee for monitored fire alarm systems required by fire code, such as for hospitals and schools; and an $80 annual fee for monitored fire alarm systems not required by fire code, such as those in private residences.
The mayor's 2004 proposed budget also retains a false burglar alarm fee of $125 that will replace the false burglary alarm citation previously handled by the Municipal Court. The new fees will be administered by the Department of Executive Administration under its regulatory and revenue licensing responsibilities.
Under the mayor's proposal, the annual license fees and false alarm fees will be the responsibility of, and billed to, the alarm monitoring companies rather than to individual alarm system subscribers.
The main intent is to hold alarm monitoring companies more accountable for false alarms, and reduce the number of unnecessary police and fire responses. The city estimates the fees will recover more than $1.56 million in city costs that were previously absorbed by general taxpayers.
Nickels will deliver his 2004 Proposed Budget to the City Council on Sept. 29 at 2 p.m.
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Office of the Mayor
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