EVERETT — Edmonds voters will officially see a $14.5 million property tax levy lid lift on their ballots in November.
The Edmonds City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday to place the levy on the ballot as an attempt to address the city’s fiscal crisis.
On June 26, council President Neil Tibbott proposed $14.5 million as a compromise between a number of figures proposed to the council. The figure is more than twice the $6 million levy the council budgeted for in December.
The council has also stated its intent to find $5 million in additional revenue. Some ideas on the table include increasing pet license fees, paid parking and traffic cameras.
“I don’t know anyone that really wants to increase property taxes, but we’ve got a responsibility to make sure that our city is functioning and functioning well,” council member Chris Eck said. “City property taxes have not been increased for a very long time, and there is some intentionality around this, just to make sure that as a city, we don’t continue to slip further into even more of a danger zone than we’re already in, and onus is still even on us with this plan to come up with other diverse ways of raising revenue.”
Council members Will Chen and Michelle Dotsch voted against the levy, citing high property tax increases for residents.
The levy will raise property taxes by about $63 per month for the median home value of $840,200. In April, residents voted to annex into South County Fire, raising property taxes by an average of $62 per month for the median home value. Both increases would go into effect in January.
“I find that the amount does not have the proper metrics associated with it to show the public exactly where that money is going,” Dotsch said. “I think with those on fixed incomes and those that are already receiving large tax increases that $14.5 million, beyond what the budget originally had as $6 million, is not appropriate at this time.”
If approved, the levy would be permanent and multi-year. State law only allows cities to increase property taxes by 1% or less per year, unless voters approve a higher increase. A multi-year lid lift would allow the council to exceed the 1% cap for up to six years, or 2031. At the end of the six years, the levy could amount to about $17 million, or $74 per month for the median household.
A permanent lid lift would mean that after the six years, the levy would continue to increase by 1% or less based on the levy amount in 2031. This is different than a temporary lid lift, which would calculate increases after 2031 based on the 2025 amount.
“I’m concerned that with a big ask, working families may have a hard time,” Chen said. “So I’m supporting the $6 million and taking it gradually to ease the pain. We also need to work harder in generating non-property tax revenue as a city and not have the property owner burden all the property tax increases.”
Low-income senior and disabled homeowners would be eligible to apply property tax exemptions or deferrals to mitigate the levy’s impact.
Olson said the $14.5 million levy would go beyond the basic needs that a $6 million levy would cover, including deferred maintenance and replenishing the city’s reserves.
“Nothing flashy or irresponsible,” she said, “just the additional expensive things that go on as a city that has to maintain our assets and the programs that the community has expressed in our prioritized survey a desire to keep having.”
Edmonds voters have not approved a levy lid lift since 2001. The last levy lid lift put to voters was in 2011 for a public safety levy, which failed with only 42% of the vote.
At a public hearing on July 1, several residents with concerns about high property taxes urged the council not to place the levy on the ballot.
“It’s going to hurt the people who are at the middle and lower income brackets because they’re not going to be able to absorb this extra money that they have to pay, not only for the RFA, but for these taxes,” Edmonds resident Janelle Cass said at the hearing. “So if you really want to fight income inequality and disparity, I would urge you not to put this on the ballot.”
Other residents have advocated for the $14.5 million levy, including members of Keep Edmonds Vibrant, a group advocating for more revenue sources to address the city’s budget crisis.
“Thank you to the Mayor and City Council for advancing this important measure to the November ballot and giving Edmonds voters a choice in the future of our city,” said Erik Houser, co-organizer of Keep Edmonds Vibrant, in a statement Tuesday evening. “We firmly believe that passing this levy, combined with other new revenue, will help keep the Edmonds we love for future generations. The power is in the hands of the voters now.”
The council also approved Tuesday a process to choose the pro and con committees for the ballot measure. Each committee will consist of up to three volunteers who will write a statement to appear in the local voters’ pamphlet that the county mails out with each ballot.
Current Edmonds residents interested in serving on a committee can email an application to scott.passey@edmondswa.gov by 5 p.m. Monday. Applications must include the resident’s name, address, phone number, desired committee, a statement that supports their position and if they are willing to be the committee’s spokesperson.
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
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