Summary

Legislation that will give property taxpayers greater flexibility in the face of the COVID-19 crisis cleared a key hurdle on Tuesday and will go before the full council next week.

Story

The King County Council Committee of the Whole on Tuesday unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Vice Chair Reagan Dunn that will provide financial relief for property taxpayers affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The proposed motion is now being sent to the full King County Council for a final vote.

Dunn’s motion asks the county treasurer to design and implement a payment plan for residents who are delinquent on their first half 2020 property taxes, which were due June 1. This plan would give flexibility for 2020 property tax bill payments to help those who are suffering financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I believe it’s an act of leadership for the County to shoulder a share of the financial burden that many of its residents are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dunn said. “This is good policy that offers a little leniency to folks who need it most.”

On March 30, King County extended the due date for the first half of 2020 property taxes from April 30 to June 1, 2020. Since then, economic activity in King County has plummeted and unemployment rates have skyrocketed to 15.8%, according to the Employment Security Department’s April report. As of June 11, 46,000 people were delinquent on their 2020 property tax payments, which amounts to a 28% increase from 2019.

The legislation will go before full council in a week, on June 23.