Plan will lead to increased property taxes
The state Legislature passed — and Gov. Inslee signed — the state’s 2017-19 operating budget at the final hour last Friday, keeping the state government open, but leaving many questions lingering.
The state’s approach to funding public education — and complying with the McCleary Decision — has drawn the most attention and controversy. On Vashon, school district officials have said they are not sure of the implications yet for the local district and hope to have answers by the end of this week.
On Saturday morning, exhausted after the final budget push that went well into the early hours of Saturday, Sen. Sharon Nelson, D-Maury Island, said that while education will benefit, she did not approve of the funding approach — relying so heavily on increased property taxes. This solution was favored by Republicans, who did not waver from it.
“They demanded it and demanded it and demanded it,” she said. “They would not bend.”
The results will be felt soon, she added.
“In 2018, across Washington, every homeowner in the state will get hit with a property tax increase whether they are in Ritzville, Hoquiam or Vashon,” she said.
Aware that this increase will have implications on the island, she said the best that concerned people can hope for is that the Democrats will re-take the Senate in the next election and begin to work to lower the tax rate Republicans set. But such mitigating steps could not go into effect for some time.
In addition to Nelson, King County officials were critical of the reliance on the property taxes and sent out an announcement in response Friday afternoon.
“The 2017-2019 state biennial operating budget announced today funds education by raising taxes on property owners in King County school districts, while continuing to underfund local public health, safety and other services,” the statement said.
Overall, about 73 percent of King County residents live in a school district that will see a tax increase, it said, and 63 percent of county residents will see a tax increase of $400 or more by 2021. The statement included an analysis for how median-value residential properties in nearby communities will be affected by 2021.
Auburn: -$20/year
Bellevue: +$830/year
Enumclaw: -$10/year
Federal Way: -$160/year
Issaquah: +$970/year
Kent: -$10/year
Lake Washington: +$790/year
Mercer Island: +$1,280/year
Renton: +$340/year
Seattle: +$550/year
Shoreline: +$460/year
Snoqualmie Valley: +$570/year
Vashon: +$630/year
Executive Dow Constan-tine weighed in.
“Lawmakers had countless revenue options to consider. They chose to use property taxes, the primary funding source for critical local government services like public safety and public health. This will make it even harder for King County to provide vital services for a rapidly growing urban region,” he said.
