Port of Seattle commissioners vote to adopt 2018 budget

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The Port of Seattle commissioners recently voted to adopt a $1.6 billion budget for next year. The budget maintains a $72 million annual King County property tax levy and plans growth for the region.

About half of the port’s budget will be used for capital projects. Economic development also is included in the budget.

One of the projects includes the continuing support of statewide tourism, which will see $50,000 used to promote local eco-tourism and $50,000 to market the region to international visitors.

Other projects involve contributing $90,000 to support the Washington Department of Transportation’s statewide disparity study on Federal Aviation Administration funded projects at 64 state airports and expanding the paid-summer internship program to 90 schools.

“This budget puts the Port’s operating income to work addressing persistent public service challenges including modernizing and expanding travel, trade and industrial infrastructure to better serve this growing region, working with intention to ensure that every community benefits from Port services and opportunities, and protecting the environment amid greater density and increased operations,” Tom Albro, Port of Seattle Commission president, said.

In addition to the port, the commissioners operate the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the Port-owned cruise, commercial fishing, recreational marina and industrial facilities. The airport is in the process of completing an improvement project of more than $2 billion.