Property taxes in Vancouver will increase by 1 percent in 2018. The city council unanimously approved the annual increase at a meeting Monday evening.
“We have an obligation to keep up with our services,” said Councilor Jack Burkman. “We won’t keep up with inflation, but this is a step toward that.”
The increase will add an additional $2.04 to the bill of a home with an assessed value of $287,100. An estimated property tax bill for Vancouver is $631.28 based on those estimates. The annual increase will add $459,500 to the city’s general fund.
The council also considered a 0 percent increase to the Affordable Housing Levy. The city isn’t seeking an increase to the levy rate because voters approved a levy for $6 million annually and it intends to honor that approval, said City Attorney Bronson Potter as a previous meeting.
The council did not approve the non-increase at Monday’s meeting, however. The ordinance required an additional amendment to ensure the language did not refer to new construction. The proposal will return to council for a second public hearing Monday.
