This 6-year [school] levy will cost homeowners $29.00 for every $100,000 in assessed value. So the owner of a $700,000 house would pay $203 more per year in property taxes (2020-2026.)
Property taxes on the $700,000 house are already:
State School Taxes: $1330
McCleary School Taxes: $700
LWSD School Taxes: $1900
Roads, City, ST3, Hosp, etc: $2,800
Total: $6730
School taxes now make up 60% of our property taxes. This levy provides 4 elementary school additions and an addition at Lake Washington High School that was rebuilt in 2011. The District isn't even addressing the construction projects authorized by the Long Term Facilities Task Force. They will ask taxpayers to fund these in the 2020 bond measure. Additionally, the McCleary tax is scheduled to increase by 30% in 2021.
I've lived in the same house for 20+ years. In 2012, my property tax bill was $4998 and the school taxes were $2600. In 2018, my property tax bill was $7,900 and the school taxes were $4700. The McCleary tax accounted for $795 of my 2018 tax bill. It appears that nearly $1200 of my annual property taxes are dedicated to paying off LWSD construction bonds for all the new schools that were built in the last 20 years. I don't feel that the quality of education has improved with all the money that has been spent.
-- Susan Wilkins
Redmond Learning Community
Note: McCleary taxes pay for salaries and teacher support, NOT for classrooms. BY
Higher impact fees would help!
ReplyDelete