Why Did My Property Tax Increase This Year?

That’s a question we expect to hear a lot in 2018.  Due to a change in the funding of K-12 education passed by the Washington State Legislature last year, taxes have gone up for nearly all taxpayers.

In response to the State Supreme Court’s “McCleary Decision,” the Legislature created a new State School Tax, added to the existing State School Tax.   This “levy swap,” will reduce local school operating levies, supplementing them with this new state levy.  However, the new state levy is in effect now (2018), but the reduction in local levies doesn’t begin until 2019.

Here in Pierce County the second State School Levy increases the tax rate for every property owner (except those with low-income senior/disabled exemptions) by about $1.03 per $1,000 of value.  This means that the average single-family home, valued at $321,000, will see a tax increase of about $330 over last year.

In addition, voters in 5 Fire Districts, 2 Park Districts, 2 cities and one school district voted to increase property taxes beginning in 2018.   Some of these votes may also be reflected in your tax statement.

Mike Lonergan
Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer
“Better Every Day”