PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County Public Utility District commissioners heard arguments for and against lowering their tax levy this week.
PUD manager Jim Parker said the board is considering a staff recommendation that the district reduce its levy from $550,000 in 2014 to $530,000 in 2015.
Parker said some of those speaking at the Monday meeting wanted the levies kept as they now stand — or even raised — so that additional assistance could be given to low-income families.
“Others said lower it more,” he said.
The budget hearing will be reopened during the next commissioners meeting Oct. 21 at Kala Point, 310 Sailview Drive.
The commissioners will host a question-and-answer discussion beginning at 4 p.m. and open their formal meeting at 5 p.m.
The rate collected for 2014 was 0.12412 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation; that’s $31.03 for a $250,000 home.
Parker said the PUD commissioners eventually hope to eliminate tax levies altogether.
He said before voters in 2008 authorized the PUD to go into the electricity business — which led to the utility acquiring Puget Sound Energy in 2013 — the commissioners had a tax levy that was “quite low.”
The acquisition cost money, Parker said.
“We relied on our taxing authority to pay for some of those costs,” he said.
“Now they want to lower it each year.”
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Reporter Mark Couhig can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at mcouhig@peninsuladailynews.com.
