Received your new property valuations?
You’re probably in shock.
Some properties increased 30 percent in value from last year.
Because of Washington’s constitution, homeowners do not have the ability to plan around what they will be paying in taxes from year to year.
In fact, your property value could even decrease — but your property taxes could actually go up.
How it works: Schools and other taxing districts determine how much money they will get that year.
And it’s all funded by your property taxes, and renters end up paying it, too.
The total cost is broken down into a dollar amount per $1,000 of your property’s value and that’s the tax you will be paying.
We’re different from say, California.
The amount they collect in property taxes is predictable because property values remain relatively stable due to California’s formula for assessing value; taxing districts must divide the ‘take’ from this predictable income to fund their wish list.
If Olympia ever succeeds in amending our constitution to allow an income tax, rest assured, your property taxes will still be a source of unexpected shock.
There is never ever enough money the state wants from your paycheck to fund their wish list.
For instance, this new $75 tax on electric cars to fund charging stations.
They’ve billed hybrid owners too, and they don’t use ‘em — in addition to paying gasoline taxes.
Keep all this in mind when you cast your votes.
Don’t vote to appease Olympia’s insatiable greed.
Shelley Taylor,
Port Angeles