Valley Medical Center in Renton, Wash., has proposed a health services levy increase that will appear on the November ballot.
In September, the community safety-net hospital said that its board of commissioners adopted a health services levy that will appear as Proposition No. 1 on the November ballot. If passed, the levy would increase from 29 cents to 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value — a rise of 46 cents. For example, the owner of a $500,000 home would pay about $19 more per month, or $228 more per year.
This would bring an additional $40 million a year to the hospital, according to The Seattle Times.
Leaders said funding from the levy “will keep care local, accessible and retain skilled team members.” They specifically cite priorities such as supporting labor and delivery, trauma and emergency care, and intensive care; keeping critically needed healthcare services close to home; and reinforcing the ability to recruit and retain a local healthcare workforce.
“Remarkably, we have not asked voters for a levy lift in 20 years,” Carol Barber, board chair and Kent resident, said in a September statement. “On behalf of my colleagues on Valley’s publicly elected board, this request reflects our commitment to long-term fiscal stability and our determination to ensure that everyone in our community can access local, life-saving care.”
The proposition is on the ballot in the King County Public Hospital District No. 1, doing business as Valley Medical Center. Valley Medical Center operates more than four dozen primary care, urgent care, and specialty clinics across Southeast King County. It reported nearly 4,000 employees and $267.6 million in unreimbursed care in fiscal 2025.
Read more about the ballot measure here.
