Seattle is struggling to reattract businesses and employees back to the downtown area since the state mandated COVID restrictions expired in 2022. Even before the pandemic, downtown Seattle was struggling and its decline was famously documented in the “Seattle is Dying” series aired on KOMO.

The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) and other pro-business groups are working on solutions that will help kick start the economy in Seattle, but Seattle leadership is reluctant to take action. Instead, the Seattle City Council is passing restrictive regulations and increasing taxes for more government programs that cannot be sustained (including a proposal for a new $970 million levy from Mayor Bruce Harrell) and will only, in the long term, make the problems worse.

Seattle has seen some high profile businesses leave the downtown area for safety reasons, including Nike and Regal Cinemas. Fentanyl victims and crime is increasing at an alarming rate due to the Seattle City Council cutting public safety funding.

Businesses in Seattle want the city to focus on public safety and reduce taxes to clean up crime and stimulate job growth. By encouraging business growth, the long-term tax revenue for the city will stabilize and grow.

The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that the business groups are asking for a temporary suspension of the Business and Occupation tax (B&O) Seattle assesses on every business operating in the city limits.

A DSA spokesperson said, "It’s faulty logic to think the only way to build affordable housing in Seattle is to raise taxes and solely rely upon nonprofit housing providers."

The suspension of the B&O tax will help businesses in the short term. A more permanent solution is to reduce and reform the B&O tax permanently.

Recent comments from Mayor Harrell have indicated that public safety could become a priority for the city. The latest comments from city hall, however, have indicated that the efforts will be focused on reviving the Streetcar project, moth balled in 2018, rather than crime reduction and improving the tax base of the city.

Seattle needs to refocus its planning to restore funding for public safety, hire more officers and incentivize businesses to return to the downtown area. This will generate the revenue for the cities’ essential programs and reduce the tax burden on its citizens.