Drafter

Clerk 07/15/2021

Title

A MOTION relating to King County's department of assessments, county treasurer and tax transparency.

Body

                     WHEREAS, the county has a responsibility to keep the residents of the county informed on matters related to taxation, and

                     WHEREAS, a large source of the revenue that is necessary to fund regional and local services comes from property tax, and

                     WHEREAS, the department of assessments sends out a notice of change in valuation of real property, as required by RCW 80.40.045, and

                     WHEREAS, K.C.C. 2.16.210 defines the department of assessments administrative service division's first responsibility as managing the department's public information unit to provide access to computer information regarding assessments, property characteristics, property history, and tax bill information, and

                     WHEREAS, RCW 84.56.050 requires the county treasurer to notify each taxpayer of the amount of the real and personal property, the current and delinquent amount of tax due on the real and personal property and to print on the notice the name of each tax and the levy included in the statement, and

                     WHEREAS, the current breakdown of property taxes, as described in K.C.C. Title 4, only gets mailed to property owners that do not pay their property taxes through their mortgage lender or do not have a mortgage lender;

                     NOW. THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:                     The council requests the department of assessments work with the county treasurer to mail out a postcard or letter annually to all property owners that includes:

                     A.  Instructions on how to view property tax information on the internet, including a link to the website; and

                     B.  A pie chart with the billing distribution of each property owner's current-year taxes to local taxing districts that includes:

                       1.  State;

                       2.  Local school support;

                       3.  County;

                       4.  City;

                       5.  Unincorporated road;

                       6.  Port;

                       7.  Fire;

                       8.  Hospital;

                       9.  Library;

                       10.  Ferry;

                       11.  Flood control;

                       12.  Other;

                       13.  Emergency medical services; and

                       14.  Other charges.