Seattle goes forward with alarm fees
By SSN Staff
Updated Thu November 27, 2003
November 27, 2003
SEATTLE - After more than a month of consideration and debate, the Seattle City Council adopted a $666 million 2004 budget, which includes new alarm fees and fines proposed by Mayor Greg Nickels earlier this year.
The new budget calls for an annual license fee of $40 for burglar alarms, $80 for fire alarm systems not required by fire code and $320 for fire alarm systems required by code. Each false burglar or fire alarm will result in a $125 fine.
These fees and fines will be charged to alarm companies, who will then most likely pass them on to customers.
According to the Seattle Times, the city hopes to bring in about $1.9 million next year, which will help offset a budget shortfall of $24 million for fiscal year 2004. The Times reports that about $1.5 million will come from permit fees and $400,000 from false alarm fines.
City officials have estimated that roughly 21,000 burglar alarms and more than 1,200 fire alarms will be affected by the new fees.
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