Schools get

majority of property tax

By Kevin Hanson

The Courier-Herald

Nearly two-thirds of the property tax dollars paid by Enumclaw residents this year will be used to make Washington a better-educated place.

Information provided last week by Gary Smalling, finance director for the city, provides a detailed look at how local property tax dollars are to be divvied up in 2006. Such information is compiled, and then forwarded to city officials, by the King County Auditors Office.

In Enumclaw, 38 percent of all property tax collections are earmarked for local education, going directly to the Enumclaw School District. Another 24 percent is identified for the state school system, meaning 62 percent goes for education.

The city of Enumclaw receives 21 percent of the total, King County gets 13 percent, the Port of Seattle gets 2 percent and another 2 percent goes for emergency medical services.

Comparing this year's tax calculations with those from 2005 shows the city's assessed value has jumped, creating a situation where individual tax rates have dropped but, still, the total amount of tax money will increase. The six taxing districts will take in a little more than $9 million this year, based on a property tax rate of $10.69 per $1,000 of assessed property value (home and land).

Putting those calculations into real-world numbers, Smalling estimates the owner of property valued at $275,000 will pay $2,940 in property taxes this year.

Kevin Hanson can be reached at khanson@courierherald.com.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.