Some city officials want to cut utility taxes, not property tax

While Mayor Dennis Hession has promoted lowering property taxes, some city council members say the city should focus instead on lowering utility taxes, which are among the highest in the state.

In Washington, Spokane’s utility tax rate for sewer, water and garbage tops all but a few smaller towns, according to a 2006 survey conducted by the Association of Washington Cities.

Spokane’s utility tax for water, sewer and garbage, equals 25 percent of taxable charges on a bill. The city argues it has a 20 percent tax because it calculates the rate – like other cities – as a percentage of the bill including the tax, not as a percentage of just the taxable