Thurston’s Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) certified the 2025 Property Tax Levies for the General Fund, Roads, Medic One and Conservation Futures to the county assessor for collection next year.
Budget and Fiscal Manager Summer Miller discussed the 2024-25 mid-term budget levy certification at a meeting with the commissioners on Dec. 3.
The current property tax rate is $0.75 per $1,000 of assessed valuation (AV). Counties are limited to $1.80 per $1,000 of AV of the regular general fund or the current expense collection, which can be increased to $2.475 with certain limitations.
The levy certification in 2025 for Thurston County amounts to $53 million, with $49,958,085 being the county’s current expense, $720,284 from Refund Levy, $720,506 from Veterans and $1,601,125 from Public Health.
The amount for county roads is at $26.5 million, with a collection rate ranging from a minimum of $0.87 and a maximum of $2.25 per $1,000 of a property’s AV.
The Medic One amount with lid lift is set at $21.5 million, with a collection rate of $0.34 to $0.50 per $1,000 of the AV.
The amount for Conservation Futures is set at $1.7 million, with a collection rate ranging from a minimum of $0.026 and a maximum of $0.0625 per $1,000 of the AV.
“Property taxes are levied to deliver services authorized (and) desired by taxpayers,” Miller said.
State law requires the commissioners to certify the property tax levy amount to the county assessor on or before Dec. 15 each year.
Per RCW 84.55.120, which mandates a public hearing for a taxing district's revenue sources in cases of adoption of tax increase, the county held a public hearing on Dec. 2.
Thurston’s Board of County Commissioners certified the 2025 Property Tax Levies for the General Fund, Roads, Medic One, and Conservation Futures to the County Assessor for collection next year.
JOLT STAFF PHOTO VIA ZOOM
RCW 84.52.043(1) allows the commissioners to shift a portion of the property tax levy for roads to the general fund.
The commissioners may decide annually on the amount of the shift, on the condition that the levy rate for the general fund does not exceed $2.45, the combined general fund and road levy rate does not exceed $4.05, and no other taxing jurisdictions are impacted by the shift.
The commissioners also authorized a road levy shift for $4,700,000, which maintains the general fund balance as anticipated in the budget.
The commissioners are allowed to divert property tax revenue from the road fund to the general fund, and use the revenue for any legitimate county purpose.
The County Road Administration Board (CRAB) established the criteria for diverting funds, while upholding the standards of good practice set by set by Chapter 136-150 WAC.
The commissioners authorized a road diversion of $1,500,000 from the road fund to the general fund.
The funds will be used solely to provide traffic law enforcement services provided by the Sheriff’s Office.
Eligible traffic safety costs in the Sheriff's Office are expected to exceed this amount, ensuring the county's ongoing eligibility for certification of good practice by CRAB and receipt of state road funding, the agenda packet stated.
6 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
anothername
Seriously, I live on a private dirt road with a well and septic and electricity. No phone line, no internet, mailbox is a mile away. I pay more in property taxes than a relative with a new house in Tumwater.
Thursday, December 12, 2024 Report this
Claire
This has to stop.
Thursday, December 12, 2024 Report this
WendyS64
How much has the Sheriff cost us in wrecked cars? Between him & his department, they could have paid for traffic law enforcement services and more. Taxpayers need to stop wasting money on the Sheriff's cars & get him a driver.
Thursday, December 12, 2024 Report this
Honestyandrealityguy
So they get their inflationary increase each year. Plus new construction.
I believe they should search their conscience and do what al families and businesses do. That is, only pay for what is needed and to be efficient.
If so, I believe property taxes could be lowered.
Thursday, December 12, 2024 Report this
Chris_R
Just wait until the Clouse scandal costs are tallied.
Thursday, December 12, 2024 Report this
1lucylucy
It amazes me how a small group of elected officials are allowed to make decisions that impact hundreds of thousands of people. This system is broken. The people do not have a say on anything anymore. Our government purposes/decides where the money is to be spent but has no accountability if indeed the funds are being spent for what they were intended for.
The people need to restructure our government across the board. This is why there are homeless people everywhere. People just give up everything. Elected people have too much power and are not representing the people that elected them. They have no idea the people live from paycheck to paycheck, loose their homes and their dignity. They are destroying our citizens.
Sunday, December 22, 2024 Report this