Clallam County proposes increasing the county’s property tax from $0.7598 per $1,000 of assessed value to $0.95, a 25 percent increase.
This increase is unnecessary and should be voted down in November.
Total Clallam County property tax revenues increase by more than 1 percent annually because of new construction.
County tax revenue from 2020 to 2024 increased by 24.7 percent, and total revenue, excluding COVID payments, by 29.9 percent, while inflation was 21.2 percent.
From 2020 to 2024, Clallam County population growth was 1.1 percent.
County tax revenues have more than kept up with inflation plus population growth.
According to the July 29 county forecast, total county revenue will increase 13.2 percent by 2028.
The Congressional Budget Office predicts total inflation for this period to be 9.8 percent.
The forecasted increase in total revenue continues to exceed expected inflation plus population growth.
Clallam County has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.
The county’s own financial forecast shows projected payroll costs increasing at more than twice the level of inflation.
People already are overtaxed.
We just saw the largest Washington state tax increase in history.
The Clallam Conservation District just imposed a new $250,000-per-year tax.
Another tax increase is not what this county, where employment, housing affordability and poverty level numbers are already trending in the wrong direction, needs.
The way to get increased property tax revenues is by creating an economic climate that stimulates new construction.
Increasing property taxes and further decreasing the affordability of housing in Clallam County is not the right way.
Kaj Ahlburg
Port Angeles