County Council passes Nehring’s tax transparency policy

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 18, 2026

EVERETT — The Snohomish County Council unanimously approved a proposal Wednesday that requires additional communication to the public, on top of procedures already in place, whenever the council considers ordinances that would increase taxes.

The measure requires council staff to provide formal notification to local news outlets, post notice on a dedicated County Council webpage and share the news across the council’s social media accounts whenever an ordinance that would increase taxes is scheduled for consideration.

Council member Nate Nehring announced the proposal on March 3.

While all ordinances are publicly posted in accordance with state and local notice requirements, the measure is “enhancing the public awareness that currently exists in code,” Nehring said at the time.

“This policy helps ensure residents have clearer and more timely notice when the Council is considering tax increases,” Nehring said in a recent press release.

Currently, scheduled public hearings, which list motions and ordinances up for a vote, are posted at snohomishcountywa.gov/2134. All County Council meeting agendas can be viewed at snohomish.legistar.com/calendar.aspx.

A tax increase would require an ordinance, which all have public hearings with strict official notice and public notification, council member Megan Dunn said in an email.

“The proposal changes nothing in practice. Since there was no real impact, I did not oppose the motion,” she said. “This was not a permanent change to our county code.”

Dunn would have liked to see more efforts to improve community engagement and participation, she said.

“This was a mostly performative motion which does not address the county’s ability to pay for and provide basic services,” Dunn said. “I support transparency and outreach, which is why the council already has strong rules in place for notification around all of our motions, ordinances and public hearings.”

While ordinances are already publicly posted, the policy adds requirements for specifically tax-increasing ordinances, Nehring said in the release.

“Improving communication with the public strengthens transparency and helps people stay informed about the decisions that may impact them,” he said.

Notifying all Snohomish County media outlets and posting ordinances on the council’s social media pages is not currently required. However, a link to all public hearings is already posted to the council’s social media pages.

The policy will require a new, dedicated webpage to display all ordinances that would raise taxes under consideration.

Taylor Scott Richmond: 425-339-3046; taylor.richmond@heraldnet.com; X: @BTayOkay