King County residents can expect to receive their 2011 property tax bills during the week of Feb. 14.
Total aggregate property tax collections in King County are up 3.33 percent in 2011 over 2010, primarily driven by voter-approved levies.
Whether an individual’s tax bill has increased or not from the previous year is largely dependent on their location. The total value of property in King County continued to decline for the 2011 tax roll, but the drop is less than the previous year.
“Taxpayers may be wondering how their property values can go down, but their property taxes go up. I know this seems counter-intuitive,” said King County Assessor Lloyd Hara. “Several factors can cause this to happen. The most common is that voters in their area have approved a property tax measure, typically a school levy, and that increased the overall property tax levy that is reflected on the 2011 bill.”
Key factors in the county’s 2011 property tax picture include:
• Voters approved replacement levies (M&O) for 15 school districts.
• Voters approved transportation levies for three school districts.
• Voters approved capital project levies for 11 school districts, and general obligation bonds for two school districts.
• Voters approved property tax levy lid lifts for the King County Library District, the City of Black Diamond, the City of Milton, and the City of Shoreline.
• Voters approved several new taxing districts, including Normandy Park Metropolitan Park District, Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District, and the Kent Regional Fire Authority District.
• Voters approved general obligation bonds for the Si View Metropolitan Park District and Fire District #49/51.
A total of 44 property tax ballot measures were approved by voters for collection in 2011, and 38 were for school district levies. As a result, property taxes will go up in 17 of the 20 school district areas within King County.
About 53 percent of property tax revenue collected in King County goes to support schools. Cities and other local governments, such as fire districts and hospital districts, receive 27 percent of the property tax collection (there are 163 local taxing districts in King County). King County government receives approximately 18 percent, and the Port of Seattle receives 2 percent:
Total property tax collections for all purposes in King County will total $3.542 Billion in 2011, up 3.33 percent from $3.427 Billion in 2010. Total property tax collections increased countywide by 1.18 percent in 2010 and 6.16 percent in 2009.
The portion of the property tax collected that is not affected by voter levies declined in 2011 over 2010 by 3.56 percent – $2.046 billion in 2011 compared to $2.122 Billion in 2010. This is due to the decline in property valuations. Non-voted property tax collections are for the State, the King County General Fund, fire districts, and the incorporated cities, for example.
