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Kittitas County—Proposition 1 <br /> Road Maintenance Levy <br /> Frequently Asked Questions <br /> Voters in Kittitas County are being asked to consider a property tax increase to support maintenance for <br /> County roads and bridges. <br /> What is a levy lid lift? <br /> State law requires that voters approve any property tax increase greater than 1%. When cost and <br /> demand for services rise faster than revenues can accommodate.This lifts the 1% lid of the levy to offer <br /> more financial sustainability. Washington's property tax is a levy-based property tax system,which <br /> means state law allows a taxing district, like the County,to collect a specified total dollar amount(the <br /> levy) per year. State law limits levy increases to 1% per year for each taxing district.The exception to this <br /> rule is the levy lid lift,which allows taxing jurisdictions to ask the voters to approve increasing the levy <br /> rate (lid lift). <br /> Why is a property tax increase being proposed? <br /> Road maintenance in Kittitas County and all Washington counties is supported by a property tax.The <br /> 2023 levy amount in Kittitas County is$0.77 per$1,000 assessed value.That amount is no longer enough <br /> to support the County's ongoing road maintenance function. <br /> How much would property taxes increase? <br /> The proposed increase is$0.24 per$1,000 assessed value in 2025—or$24 per year for every$100,000 of <br /> assessed value. <br /> What would the road maintenance levy pay for? <br /> If approved,the levy will allow Kittitas County Public Works to continue the current level of road <br /> maintenance to provide year-round safety and accessibility. Services include snow plowing, maintaining <br /> the County's 266 bridges, providing safe access for school buses and emergency services, preventing <br /> flooding of roadways, and timely road repair and repaving. <br /> Why isn't the current road levy enough? <br /> Washington State law limits property tax levy increases to 1% per year without voter approval. In recent <br /> years, construction cost has risen much faster—a 16.8% increase in 2021-2023. <br /> is the County's large size a factor inroad maintenance cost? <br /> Kittitas County covers 2,300 square miles—that's larger than King County. We have 266 bridges and 500 <br /> miles of County roads. But our County's population is only 44,000 while King County has 2.3 million <br /> residents who contribute to road funding. <br /> What has the County done to address this budget challenge? <br />