OLYMPIA — Several Clallam County residents told the House Finance Committee on Tuesday that they fear losing their homes to increasing property assessments and the accompanying property taxes.
Residents were testifying in favor of House Joint Resolution 4214, a proposed constitutional amendment to rein in annual increases on property assessments to 1 percent.
“This system isn’t fair and all we want is a chance to vote on it,” said Shelley Taylor, of Sequim-based Property Owners for Predictable Property Tax Now.
“We’re very invigorated. I was very pleased. I was told that the committee was very attentive to my speech. I could tell they were paying attention. “
Taylor’s testimony was followed by a loud round of applause, which led committee chairman Rep. Jim McIntire, D-Seattle, to reprimand the crowd.
“Property sounds so impersonal, we are talking about people’s homes,” Taylor said.
“One of my favorite points was when it was suggested we sell our homes or encumber our property to pay for our property taxes.
“I said, ‘Is this the solution you would offer to your mother, your grandmother, your sister or your children?”‘
Limit annual increases
House Joint Resolution 4214 would limit increases in property assessments to 1 percent a year after freezing assessments at 2006 levels.
It would not apply to new construction or home sales.
A companion measure, Senate Joint Resolution 8219, was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland.
Taylor said the proposal must be voted out of the House Finance Committee, receive a two-thirds vote in House and then get a hearing in the Senate.
When the committee will vote on the resolution is not known.
Property Owners for Predictable Property Tax Now has a “Plan B” if the proposal doesn’t get a hearing in the Senate, she said.
“We’ll see what happens with the Senate,” Taylor said.
“There’s other things we are planning to do to underscore to the legislators that people want to vote it on themselves.”
Staying power
But Rep. Jim Buck, R-Joyce, said the proposal could have some staying power.
“I don’t expect this to dry up and go away,” Buck said.
“Shelley Taylor did a very good job. This might not be subject to normal cutoff dates. We possibly could be bargaining on this until the end of the session.”
Buck’s 24th District includes Clallam and Jefferson counties.
