At their Monday, November 5 meeting, the Battle Ground City Council will consider, and take input from the public on, a 1% property tax increase (levy) for the city’s 2019 budget. The meeting begins at 7 pm Battle Ground City Hall.
What would a 1% city property tax increase mean to City of Battle Ground residents and property owners?
To begin, it is important to recognize that the potential 1% levy increase only applies to city property taxes. Your total property tax bill is a combination of taxes paid to various service jurisdictions is which you reside: city, school district, county, state, and library district. In 2018, the city’s portion of the total property tax you pay is 15%. (For details visit our Tax Information page.)
The impact on your pocketbook varies depending on the assessed value of your property and if that value increases. The attached graph and table illustrate the impact of no (0%) and a 1% property tax levy increase on a home currently assessed at $310,000. Because there is a possibility that the assessed property value has increased, we’ve factored that in as well. The annual dollar impact of a 1% property tax levy in 2019 varies from a reduction of $37.12 (at 0% increased assessment) to a total increase of $14.41 (at 12% increased assessment).
Core municipal services such as police, fire, streets and parks are also impacted by an increase (or no increase) in property taxes. The total annual revenue from a 1% property tax levy increase is approximately $30,000. The cost of providing city services, like most services, is affected by inflation and is dependent on revenue.
A few things to keep in mind in this complicated world of property taxes:
- The total amount of property taxes collected by the city is a fixed amount for the calendar year, and is determined by the previous year’s collection and the increased assessed value of new growth. (The projected fixed amount for 2019 is approximately $3.1 million.)
- The potential 1% levy increase is applied to that total fixed amount, not your individual tax or the mill rate.
- The total fixed amount is then “shared” among property owners by using a mill rate. The greater the total assessed value, the lower the mill rate you pay on your individual assessed property. That is why you see a decrease in the projected mill rate from 2018 to 2019.
- The assessed value of your property is determined by the Clark County Assessor’s Office. Property assessment is not a function of city government.
- While illustrated numbers are based on the best estimates from the Clark County Assessor’s Office, they are not actual until certified by the assessor.
We encourage you to learn more about city and other property taxes, to attend city council meetings, and to participate in the public hearing process. View the November 5 City Council Agenda.