SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – Spokane County commissioners voted 3-2 to approve a 1% property tax increase during a Special Property Tax Levy Meeting, allowing the county to raise property taxes by 1% annually.
The decision also allows the county to “bank” past tax increases it chose not to implement, enabling larger increases in future years, though there is a cap on the number of years this can be done.
Commissioners considered three options: not raising taxes, implementing the 1% increase or applying the 1% increase along with any banked increases from previous years.
Commissioners Josh Kerns and Al French proposed not increasing taxes, but their motion was defeated, with Democrats Chris Jordan and Amber Waldref, along with Republican Mary Kuney, voting in favor of the increase.
Jordan made a motion to approve the 1% increase, which sparked a debate on fiscal responsibility. The motion passed 3-2, with Kuney joining the Democrats in support.
For a homeowner with a $425,000 property, the increase will amount to an additional $2.92 annually. The total estimated revenue generated by the increase is $652,000. Currently, the property tax for this homeowner is $296.74 annually.
