Updated: Both the Washington state Senate and the House have approved a bill, co-sponsored by 36th District senator Jeanne Kohls-Wells (D-Seattle), that would give some tax relief to centers that operate out of former school facilities like the Small Faces Child Development Center on Crown Hill.
According to a release sent out by the Washington State Democrats, “Senate Bill 6855 provides a property tax exemption to neighborhood community centers that are housed in a building that was determined to be no longer needed by school districts and now owned by nonprofit organizations and used to deliver coordinated services for community members. The measure also applies the leasehold excise tax to the rental property within these community centers, making the measure revenue positive.”
“Our focus this session has been on plugging our budget hole in a way that least harms our communities and our families. This measure helps organizations, such as Crown Hill Small Faces Child Care Center and Phinney Neighborhood Center, providing vital services and relief to our neighbors with only positive results to the state’s coffers,” said Sen. Kohl-Welles.
The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday and the House passed it Thursday evening. It now goes to the Governor for her signature. You can read the bill in its entirety here (.pdf).
