Week 13: Housing, Property Tax, and Advisory Votes

Dear friends and neighbors,

Thank you to all those who attended the recent 47th legislative district telephone town hall. Your engagement and participation were truly appreciated, and wonderful to connect with so many members of the community.

Our representation depends on the active participation of our constituents, and your feedback, questions, and suggestions will inform our work and help us to better serve our district. Again, thank you for your time and interest in our work.

Everyone needs a home

Housing stability and support services, such as healthcare, behavioral health, and drug rehabilitation, are necessary to help individuals transition out of homelessness. 

Addressing our state’s housing crisis is a top priority, with a projected need of 1.1 million new homes for every kind of community. Our shared vision aims to expand our housing supply, stabilize costs for families, and provide support for affordable housing and first-time homebuyers.

This year, I’m proud to support our work on middle housing: the development of smaller, more affordable housing units that fill the gap between single-family homes and high-rise apartments. Housing diversity is missing from our communities, pushing people out of their homes and away from their communities. These units, such as duplexes, triplexes, and townhouses, can provide affordable housing options for people who may not be able to afford single-family homes or high-rise apartments.

• Contrary to what some news outlets may suggest, House Bill 1110 does not end single-family housing development. Rather, it provides additional options for smaller multi-unit housing developments, for example,  a duplex . Additionally, middle housing can help address issues related to segregation and exclusionary zoning policies, which have historically limited housing opportunities for marginalized communities.

A tax structure to meet community needs

The legislative role in taxation is to set the overall framework for property tax assessment and collection. The Legislature sets the maximum tax rates that can be levied by local governments, as well as the rules for property assessment and valuation. Additionally, the state government provides various tax exemptions and deferrals that can reduce the amount of taxes owed by property owners.

The county’s role in taxation involves administering the property tax system on a local level. County assessors are responsible for valuing all properties within their jurisdiction and determining the amount of taxes owed based on the property’s assessed value. The county also collects property tax payments and distributes the revenue to various local government entities, such as schools, law enforcement, libraries, fire departments, road maintenance, and parks. The exact breakdown of how property tax revenue is distributed varies by jurisdiction and can be influenced by voter-approved levies and state funding formulas.

The cap for property taxes in Washington state limits the amount that property tax rates can increase each year to 1%, plus any additional voter-approved levies. This limit is known as the “1% limit” or “limit factor.” The limit applies to the total amount of property tax revenue collected by a taxing district, not to the tax rate on individual properties. However, individual property tax bills may still increase by more than 1% if the assessed value of the property increases more than 1%.

This year, the city and county council members made strong efforts to push for an increase in the limit factor up to 3%. Their intention was to serve their community’s best interests, but we have received feedback from you, the public, that many are finding it difficult to make ends meet. The increasing inflation rates and other financial pressures have placed a heavy burden on our community, making it challenging for people to pay their bills. We acknowledge the need to balance funding for city and county projects while also providing tax relief to families.

To learn more about property taxes in Washington state, including how to appeal your property assessment or claim tax exemptions, I recommend visiting the Washington State Department of Revenue’s property tax webpage and reviewing their property tax publications.

Hearing from you: advisory votes

I’ve been hearing directly from you that advisory votes are a great concern of the community.

Back in 2007, Initiative 960 was passed by voters requiring any legislative action that increases state tax revenue to be placed on a statewide ballot for an advisory vote. This includes new taxes, extensions of existing tax preferences, repeals of tax preferences, and changes to existing taxes. Advisory votes are non-binding and do not have an impact on state law or taxes. 

There have been efforts to change the advisory vote requirement, such as a 2016 proposal to exempt them from election return recount requirements. Additionally, bills were introduced in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 to eliminate advisory votes. However, none of these bills made it through the process. In 2020, a bill was introduced to require more detailed descriptions of each measure in the voters’ pamphlet and expand advisory votes to cover all increases and decreases in tax-related bills.  This bill did not receive a hearing.

This session, Senate Bill 5082 , if passed, by both chambers and signed by the Governor would repeal the requirement for advisory votes but would maintain the I-960 requirement for OFM to analyze tax measures. It would also create a public website with educational information about state revenue, budgets, and expenditures, as well as provide access to OFM’s I-960 analyses for tax-related bills.

Song of the week: Greatest Love of All

Whitney Houston’s iconic song Greatest Love of All inspires listeners to love themselves and strive for personal growth. This message aligns with the idea that education can empower individuals to reach their full potential. Education is not just about academic instruction but also about fostering self-confidence, resilience, and character development in students.

The Resilient Washington 2023-2025 House operating budget reflects this understanding by investing in education across the board. By prioritizing education, policymakers in Washington State recognize that it is a critical tool for empowering individuals and driving social and economic progress. The budget underscores the importance of providing students with not just academic knowledge but also the skills and mindset they need to thrive in all aspects of their lives.