Drafter
Clerk 11/12/2009
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the county regular property tax levies for collection in 2010; implementing RCW 84.55.0101, finding substantial need and providing for a limit factor of one hundred and one percent in accordance with RCW 84.55.0101.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. RCW 84.55.0101 allows the county council to set limit factors for regular property tax levies to a maximum of one hundred one percent upon a finding of substantial need.
B. The King County executive has proposed a total budget for 2010 of $4.8 billion, and a 2010 General Fund budget of $621 million.
C. The General Fund and other funds are continuing to experience a fiscal shortfall that is the result of declining revenue growth and increasing costs of providing services.
D. This fiscal shortfall is expected to continue into 2011 and thereafter.
E. King County has aggressively reviewed all expenditures in the General Fund and other property-tax-supported funds for reductions and has reviewed possibilities for enhanced revenues.
F. King County has reduced the General Fund budget and other property-tax-supported budgets below the amounts necessary to sustain current service levels.
G. To fund operations of the various county programs requires an increase in property taxes above the 2009 levels.
H. Because of the findings in subsections A. through G. of this section, the King County council finds that a substantial need exists for the use of property tax limit factors up to the maximum of one hundred one percent.
SECTION 2. The limit factors to be used for county property tax levies for taxes to be collected in 2010 shall be as follows:
Levy Limit Factor
Current Expense One hundred one percent
Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) One hundred one percent
Veterans and Human Services One hundred one percent
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) One hundred one percent
County Road District One hundred one percent
Conservation Futures One hundred one percent
Parks Operating One hundred one percent
Parks Expansion One hundred one percent