On September 26, the Seattle City Council’s Public Safety and Human Services Committee heard a presentation from Council staff on a potential new delivery fee. Presented as a means for the City to generate revenue to enforce several new worker protection ordinances, a fee of $.10 would be assessed on network companies “per online order for the delivery of goods or provision of other services in Seattle.”
The fee would finance the implementation and enforcement of five app-based worker ordinances:
- Domestic Workers
- Independent Contractor Protections
- App-Based Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time
- App-Based Worker Minimum Payment
- App-Based Worker Deactivation Rights
The fee would not be assessed on grocery item (as defined in RCW 82.84) deliveries. However, a single non-exempt item in a grocery order (e.g., batteries or a sponge) would trigger the delivery fee.
The fee would be implemented on January 1, 2024, but the first filing would be due in the fourth quarter of 2024 and quarterly after that. In addition, the OLS Director would have the authority to adjust the fee.
It was revealed this week that the City is expected to include an annual license requirement for network companies operating in Seattle.
John Engber, WR’s lobbyist in Seattle, testified against the potential fee at the September 26 committee hearing.
WR will inform its readers of this potential fee and license details as they come to light.
