When Redmond residents receive their property tax bills this month, actual dollars due on their tax bills are expected to be approximately 3.3 percent lower than in 2009.
Metropolitan King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert, who represents District 3, including Redmond, provided more detail, based on figures from the King County Assessor’s Office and trends in Redmond, such as a slight decrease in property values and the recent voter approval of levies supporting the Lake Washington School District.
According to Lambert’s office, by state law, property tax increases are limited to no more than 1 percent a year and the cumulative tax rate is capped at $10 per $1,000 valuation. The tax rate varies by property, depending on where it is located among King County’s 160 taxing districts, but in Redmond, a typical tax rate per $1,000 valuation is $9.48 this year. The tax rate is determined by dividing the total amount that the taxing districts are authorized to collect by the total assessed value of all properties.
This year, average propety values declined by 17.6 percent from last year in the Redmond area, resulting in a tax rate increase of 17.3 percent, said Lambert. However, the average decline in values across the county was about 15 percent. Because values declined more than average in Redmond, the actual dollars due on this year’s tax bill will be about 3.3 percent lower than in 2009.
The tax rate also is affected by voter-approved levies and bonds. Here are some of the tax rates that Redmond residents pay, according to Lambert’s office.
• State schools — $2.22 per $1,000 valuation
• County General Fund — 89.7 cents
• County transportation levy — 6.5 cents
• Automated Fingerprint Identification System — 4.6 cents
• Parks/Open Space — 10.9 cents
• Veterans and Human Service Levy — 4.5 cents
• County bonds (public vote) — 7.4 cents
• County Conservation Futures — 4.9 cents
• County Flood Control District — 10.5 cents
• County Ferry District — 3/10ths of a cent
• Port of Seattle — 21.6 cents
• Emergency Medical Services (Medic One — public vote) – 30 cents
• Lake Washington School District Maintenance & Operations Levy (public vote) — $1.17
• Lake Washington School District Bond Levy (public vote) — $ 1.16
• Lake Washington School District Capital Levy (public vote) — 47.4 cents
• City General Fund — $1.56
• City General Obligation Bond (public vote) — 2.2 cents
• King County Library System General Fund — 42.2 cents
• King County Library System General Obligation Bond (public vote) — 3.9 cents
• Evergreen Hospital District General Fund — 28.3 cents
• Evergreen Hospital District General Obligation Bond (public vote) — 17.6 cents
• Redmond Capital Facilities Bond (public vote) — 4.5 cents
Lambert emphasized in a phone interview that King County keeps only about $1.39 cents out of the typical $9.48 collected in Redmond, or less than 15 cents on the dollar.
She noted that there are common misconceptions about the functions and services provided by the federal government, state, city and county and that many constituents mistakenly assume that the total amount they pay for their property tax goes to the county, when in fact, the bill includes a wide range of organizations.
Lambert also noted that the county has cut $150 million from its general fund over the last two years and expects to cut another $60 million while preserving programs and services that have been deemed most critical by the public. These include law enforcement and criminal justice programs, as well as programs which prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. Lambert also stated on her Web site, http://www.kingcounty.gov/Lambert.aspx, that she is committed to fighting for additional funding to ease congestion on Novelty Hill Road and to help preserve agricultural programs which, in turn, improve public health.
More information about King County property taxes can be found on the Web site of the King County Assessor, www.kingcounty.gov/assessor/.
