Tax relief may be on the way for Grays Harbor, Jefferson County property owners

Kessler, Van De Wege hail passage of legislation requiring yearly valuations

April 8, 2009

OLYMPIA – The state House of Representatives passed legislation today requiring counties to move to annual property revaluations by 2014. The bill originated in the Senate, where it passed overwhelmingly last month.

This should be welcome news to property owners in Grays Harbor and Jefferson Counties, many of whom have been hit hard by a once-every-four-years revaluation system.

“The four-year cycle doesn’t work that well when property values are coming down all around you, but your tax bill keeps going up,” said Rep. Kevin Van De Wege (D – Sequim). “Having property assessed annually will keep revaluations in line with reality.”

Less than half of Washington’s counties currently do annual property revaluations. But Grays Harbor, Jefferson, and 17 other counties are on an every-four-years cycle. To help counties with the cost of transitioning to an annual system, the legislation extends the current $5 fee on real estate transactions, with the money going towards a grant program for counties.

A January 31, 2009 article in the Aberdeen Daily World indicated that last year, property values in Hoquiam went up an average of 48 percent.

“People shouldn’t have to pay double digit increases in a down real estate market,” said Rep. Lynn Kessler (D – Hoquiam). “In fact, people are struggling just to stay in their homes.”

Kessler and Van De Wege both voted in favor of the legislation, which passed the House 77 to 17. It now heads to Governor Gregoire for signature.