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WAN <br />#NTA. - <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 Kitbtas 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 />