|
House approves bill to bring
tax fairness to property
owners in Castle Rock School District
Orcutt,
Herrera
support measure to ensure Vader taxpayers pay their fair share
A bill that would require
Vader residents to pay 2008 school taxes to the Castle Rock School
District was approved today in the Washington House of Representatives,
72-25.
Rep. Ed Orcutt,
co-sponsor of
House Bill 2492, says the measure restores tax fairness, ensuring
that Vader residents, whose children attended Castle Rock schools after
the Vader School District was dissolved, would pay their fair share.
"It's not been fair that
Castle Rock property owners bear the full burden of taxes to support
local schools while Vader residents get a free ride. This measure
corrects that inequity," said Orcutt, R-Kalama.
Rep. Jaime Herrera, also
from the 18th District, joined Orcutt in supporting the measure.
"I voted for this
common-sense measure because it appropriately distributes tax
responsibilities," said Herrera, R-Ridgefield. "This is about being
equitable."
After Vader's school levy
failed in February 2007, it was decided to dissolve the school district
and send Vader students to Castle Rock's schools. Vader taxpayers were
expected to pay a share of Castle Rock's expense of educating those
students. However, it was determined that because the agreement was
reached after June 1 -- the deadline for establishing the following
year's tax boundaries -- it came too late to tax Vader citizens for
their share of the cost until 2009.
Orcutt, ranking Republican
on the House Finance Committee, says HB 2492 would move the June 1 date
to Sept. 1 for determining the boundary of a school taxing district when
it merges with another. The measure is also retroactive to Aug. 1, 2007,
meaning 2008 school taxes could be collected from Vader property owners.
"This is important to the
taxpayers in the Castle Rock School District. They were told they would
receive a tax break if Castle Rock absorbed the Vader students. Without
this legislation, they would not receive that promised tax adjustment.
Castle Rock taxpayers would be paying considerably more in their
property taxes, while Vader taxpayers escape because of a technicality
in the law," noted Orcutt. "This legislation provides property tax
fairness to the homeowners in the Castle Rock School District."
The measure now goes to
the Senate for further consideration.
# # #
For more information, contact:
John
Sattgast, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7257
|