[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written and submitted by a verified Burien resident. It represents the opinion of the author, and does not necessarily reflect the views of South King Media or its staff.]
I am very concerned about the proposed bill SB-5798, co-sponsored by Senator Emily Alvarado who represents parts of Burien, along with the West Seattle and Vashon areas.
This bill eliminates the 1% yearly cap and instead uses the rate of inflation from the national CPI. CPI is predicted to increase by 3.2% this year, so the increase in property taxes in only one year would be 3.2%, as I understand it. That would be an increase of close to $2,000 per year for the average property owner. Senior citizens with an income of under $60k pay $0, working Joe’s pick up the tab.
EDITOR’S NOTE: These are speculative estimates — actual increases would vary based on property value, local tax rates, and how each taxing district applies the new authority. Also, most low-income seniors may qualify for partial or full exemptions, but not all will pay zero, and the $60K figure is a generalization — actual thresholds depend on multiple factors, including county-set levels and property value.
We all want to see senior citizens stay in their homes, but many will be struggling just to keep their own homes, rentals will increase and everyone will be stretched even thinner.
This will hit Burien very hard as it has high-immigrant, multi-generational living demographics.
I would like to see information spread about this and people to start reaching out to Senator Alvarado and tell them they do not support this increase.
– Alexandra Sandoval
Burien
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I support this legislation as it would aid our schools and local governments in performing their necessary functions.
I agree with both writers regarding SB-5798. The current property tax rate is 1%. A new property tax rate of 2.1% paid by property owners to aid our schools and fund our government (both of which are underfunded) would provide a response to the obvious needs in 2025. I disagree with tying our property tax rate to the national Consumer Price Index. My wife and I own a house we call home in Burien. I’ve called Burien home for over 50 years.