WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES: County commissioners eye housing sales tax
In a story by Jessie Stensland, she reports that the Island County Commissioners are going to hold a public meeting on January 18 for discussion on a proposed sales tax increase of on-tenth of 1%. The increase would raise approximately $1.2 million per year to construct, purchase, maintain and operate affordable housing in the county.
The Washington State Legislature passed House Bill 1590 this year which allows county commissioners and city councils to pass tax increases without a vote by the people.
Stensland reports:
Commissioners’ discussion about the tax were a little strained… [Commissioner Jill] Johnson expressed frustration with [Commissioner Janet] St. Clair, claiming she was working against the tax behind the scenes. St. Clair said that wasn’t true. “I’m not not supportive of this,” St. Clair said.
They Said It
Commissioner Janet St. Clair… expressed concern about going forward with a public hearing. “I’m not seeing the extensive community outreach we saw with the mental health sales tax,” adding that the commissioners need to be as transparent as possible with a tax that isn’t going before the voters.
Commissioner Jill Johnson… said she wanted to move forward with the hearing so that the board can hear from a wider swath of the community and not just people in certain groups. “I don’t want to kick the can down the road on an issue we continually say is the highest priority in the community. Community members say it’s the highest priority. Voters say it’s the highest priority. Service providers are saying it’s the highest priority.”
Commissioner Melanie Bacon said she wanted to have the public hearing ‘sooner than later.’
Editor’s Note
The Island County Commissioners are not the only legislative body dealing with this potential tax increase: the Coupeville Town Council discussed this at their Dec. 10 meeting. The bill permits counties to impose a sales tax increase of up to 0.1%; if they do not enact the full amount of this permitted increase, cities may add the balance within their jurisdictions. These increases are allowed without bringing the matter before the voters.
Contrary to the Whidbey News-Times report, the bill enabling this tax increase was passed in 2020. 10th District Representatives Norma Smith (R-Clinton) and Dave Paul (D-Oak Harbor) both voted against the bill when it reached the floor of the House; 10th District Senator Ron Muzzall (R-Oak Harbor) also voted against the bill on the floor of the Senate.
– Allen McPheeters
