No property tax increase from Sammamish
November 5, 2010
By Caleb Heeringa
New: Nov.5, 2:30 p.m.
If your property tax bill goes up next year, it likely wasn’t the city of Sammamish’s fault.
For the second year in a row, the City Council voted to forgo the 1 percent increase in property taxes allowed by state law and will keep their levy amount at $20.3 million.
“It’s tough out there for a lot of people we all know it,” Councilman Tom Odell said. “We’ve got a budget that works without (a property tax increase).”
Finance Director Lyman Howard said even with a significant drop in assessed value across the board it’s still theoretically possible that individual homeowners may see an increase in the city portion of their bill because of the state’s assessment-based taxing system. A property that has dropped in value less than its neighbors will bear a larger portion of the property tax burden, for example.
The city can save that 1 percent, along with the 1 percent from last year, and use it to raise taxes by more than 1 percent in the future.
The $108.5 million 2011-2012 budget as a whole is significantly scaled back from that of 2009-2010, due to staff cuts and scaled back plans for capital improvements such as parks and roads. The city is budgeted to spend $24 million less in the next two years compared the last.
In addition to the three employees that will be laid off, Public Works Director John Cunningham will be retiring and his position filled from within the city. Three and half other positions that had been unfilled will be eliminated. City Manager Ben Yazici said there was not enough work going around to justify the eliminated positions.
At their Nov. 2 meeting the council did approve $50,000 for severance packages for the three laid-off employees, citing fairness during a recession.
“I know it’s tough economic times – the transition period now is long than it would be in a robust economy,” Councilman John James said.
The money will come out of the estimated $125,000 that is saved in the budget from the elimination of employee benefit programs such as a tuition reimbursement plan and a city-funded 2 percent bonus on employee retirement accounts.
Yazici said city employees have also agreed to accept a half-percent pay cut across the board to match the drop in the cost of living this year.
Much of the savings also comes from the council’s decision to pass on some of the pricey capital projects that had characterized the city up until a few years ago. The budget calls for $6.7 million to be spent on transportation projects in the next two years, including $1.7 million for sidewalks and bike lanes to be added to the 244th Avenue corridor.
By comparison, more than $34 million was spent in 2009 and 2010 on projects such as the East Lake Sammamish Parkway expansion.
More than $15 million is budgeted for parks construction in the next budget, though $6.3 million of that is the city’s “down payment” on the eventual community and aquatic center. The city will be doing a feasibility study and looking into buying land for the project in the next two years. Other projects include a new turf field at Eastlake High School and money for the opening of Sammamish Landing Park.
The council plans to adopt the 2011-2012 budget at their Nov. 16 meeting.
Reporter Caleb Heeringa can be reached at 392-6434. ext. 247, or cheeringa@isspress.com.
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