Evan Smith: Shoreline Council to consider levy-lift ballot measure

By Evan Smith

ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

Shoreline voters may be voting on a property-tax levy lift in the November general election.

The Shoreline City Council in mid-July will consider whether to put the measure on the ballot.

The levy-lid lift would raise property taxes by 20 or 30 cents, per $1,000 in assessed value.

Some Council members say that the City needs the tax increase to close the budget gap the City faces from the effects of inflation and the 1 percent cap on annual property-tax increases.

Councilman Chris Eggen told me Monday that while the City has been limited to 1 percent annual increases in property-tax revenue, costs have gone up 4 percent per year.

Council members stress that no one can yet speak for the Council, which hasn't yet taken an official position on issues related to the levy.

Eggen said that he would weigh four factors in deciding how to vote: 

1) the effect of not closing the budget gap, including probable cuts to grants to neighborhood and community groups such as the Museum and Arts Council, to parks, to human services and to discretionary spending such as school-resource officers; 

2) the effect of a tax increase on Shoreline businesses ”It would be foolish to increase property taxes if we decrease business activity and thus further decrease sales taxes,” he said; 

3) the effect on low-income homeowners, particularly retired people on fixed incomes; and 

4) whether there will be either a county sales- or county property-tax increase on the November ballot.