EVERETT — Property-tax statements that started arriving in mailboxes throughout Snohomish County this month are bound to prove a bit pricier than last year.
Homeowners in almost every community will have bigger bills to pay in 2017 compared to last year. Most increases owe directly to school, public safety or transit levies that voters approved in 2016.
The most significant for many will be the Sound Transit 3 measure that passed in November. It levied the agency’s first-ever property tax, along with higher car-tab fees and a sales tax. The taxing district covers urban areas from Everett to the south, taking in more than half the county’s tax parcels. The new tax of 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed value is earmarked to help pay to expand light-rail and commuter-bus service over the next quarter century.
In addition to the transit tax, homeowners in Everett and Mill Creek also will see the effects of a school bond and capital levy voters passed in April.
Across southwest Snohomish County, property owners will start paying on an Edmonds School District levy that passed a year ago to pay for technology, building improvements and sports fields.
In Mountlake Terrace, a levy lid lift contributed to the city having the highest average increase anywhere in the county.
Overall, Snohomish County voters passed 18 of the 22 property-tax measures on the ballot last year. Half were for school districts.
Tax statements were mailed Tuesday. Half of the taxes are due by the end of April and the second half by the end of October.
The average tax bill is set to go up almost everywhere in the county, with the exception of the city of Arlington. Countywide, property owners can expect taxes to be 11.1 percent higher on average compared to last year. The largest average increases are in Mountlake Terrace (15 percent), Everett (14.2 percent), Woodway (13.9 percent) and Mill Creek (13.7 percent).
The average property tax in Arlington is due to drop by 0.3 percent. In Lake Stevens, taxes will be almost static, inching up just 0.1 percent.
The largest share of a typical tax bill, by far, goes toward public schools. The next-largest portions typically fund fire districts and municipal services.
The total amount of taxable property in the county increased to $105 billion in 2017 from $96 billion in 2016, a rise of 9.4 percent. The total amount of taxes collected this year is due to rise 8.2 percent over last year, to nearly $1.2 billion, for all taxing districts.
For more info, go to the county treasurer’s website: www.sno homishcountywa.gov/Treasurer.
Elderly and disabled homeowners can apply for property-tax exemptions. To learn more, call 425-388-3433 or go to www.snohomishcountywa.gov/328/Property-Tax-Exemptions.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465;nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter:@NWhaglund.
