WA Dems Push to Overturn Voter Approved Property Tax Limits

Under WA State constitution requirements, any bills introduced during the last ten days of the legislative session require a two-thirds majority to advance. This one was submitted just before that window.

  Senate Democrat bill would raise level of property tax growth from 1 to 3 percent

Under current voter-approved WA State law local and state government cannot raise property taxes by more than 1 percent annually. In short, this bill would raise that limited to 3 percent.  Senate Bill (SB) 5770 would repeal this voter-approved mandate.

There are, according to Jason Mercier of the WA Policy Center, 20 Democrat Senators who have signed on to sponsor this bill.

Ironically, as Mercier points out, the bill is titled "Providing state and local property tax reform."

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The bill is being submitted under the guise of helping education:

"The legislature finds that the arbitrary  one percent limitation on the growth of property tax collections has  severely inhibited the ability of the state, counties, cities, and  other special districts to provide critical community services in the  face of significant population growth and inflation." (from the bill text)

So, the sponsors are blaming inflation and rising populations for allegedly causing shortfalls in the state budget for education. The text goes on to say the state portion of such taxes raised (if the bill passes) would be used in part for special needs students as well as law enforcement.

"Modifying the limitation on the growth of property tax collections will restore the primary tool state and local officials  use to fund public schools, law enforcement, fire departments, and other services Washingtonians rely on. Property taxes are the primary revenue source for counties, which  have responsibility in Washington for public safety and administration of the criminal justice system."

That is ironic, considering the last two years have seen a massive influx of legislation limiting the ability of law enforcement to do their jobs--limiting their enforcement powers.