It’s a new year so some changes in the city of Seattle will be taking effect. From redistricting to minimum wage, Seattle has set some major changes in legislation. The city will have new borders in 2023 for how it elects its city council. Seattle’s minimum wage for large employers will rise to $18.69 an hour hour for businesses that employ 501 or more people.
Also taken effect January 1, 2023, homeless individuals are eligible for a taxpayer-funded original ID card or renewal card on a one-time basis. This new program is planned to provide free state identification cards that can be used as official identification. ID’s typically require a $54 fee. The program has a budget to provide 15,000 cards in the state.
The new D3 will be slightly more white and just as Democratic. Only D1 representing West Seattle and D6 representing Northwest Seattle will have a higher proportion of white residents than D3’s 63%.
Workers 14 or 15 years old may be paid $12.32 per hour. For smaller employers, the minimum wage is $18.69 per hour, or $16.50 per hour, depending on whether they pay $2.19 per hour toward medical benefits or the employee earns $2.19 in tips per hour.
Tukwila’s minimum wage starting in July 2023 will be about $18.99. SeaTac’s minimum wage for 2023 is $19.06. Washington’s ride share and gig workers now have a minimum wage and benefits requirements across the entire state. Drivers will be paid a minimum of $1.17 to $1.38 per mile and a minimum of $3 to $5.17 per trip based on city population.
Effective January 1, 2023, employers with 15 or more workers must now include a salary range, benefits information, and all compensation details when advertising openings, signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on March 30.
To add, Seattle’s vehicle license fees will jump $10 to $50 starting in July in a move hoped to raise $1.96 million in additional transportation revenue for the city. It will also be cheaper for many restaurants and cafes to set up street and patio seating and new rules that “emphasize the public nature of the street” and require cafes to “fit into and enhance” the streetscape while also setting guidelines for structures that are “visually permeable, attractive, durable, graffiti- resistant, and easy to clean and maintain.”
The rules also require any street cafe or patio be treated as “public space outside of business hours” and include more structure around full street closures that would continue to allow the motor vehicle closures while adding new requirements like public seating and community programming.
