County plans multiple votes to spread out tax requests

Fearing that Spokane County residents are feeling taxed out, county commissioners painstakingly have selected dates for tax votes that they believe favor approval.

But those elections will come at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars to those same tax-weary residents.

At a meeting last week, commissioners tentatively decided to ask voters to renew a jail sales tax on March 11 and to approve a new sales tax for emergency communications equipment and Crime Check on April 22.

Commissioners have yet to make a final decision about the dates, but they asked their staff to prepare documents to hold the two votes.

Officials looked for dates that would avoid most voters having to face more than one tax question at a time.

On March and April ballots, the county’s tax proposals won’t have to compete with a vote expected in May to reauthorize a sales tax for the Spokane Transit Authority or a vote for higher property taxes expected in November to pay for a new jail. The possible vote for a new jail shouldn’t be confused with the jail sales tax vote tentatively scheduled for March, which would pay for corrections operations.

It’s not unusual for governments to strategize when scheduling votes on taxes. But officials say that with so many proposals requiring more taxes expected to come before voters in the next few years, they’re concerned voters will become weary of any mention of taxes.

This year voters will face several tax proposals from school and fire districts, cities and the county, potentially being capped with the $100 million – or more – request for a new jail in November.

County Auditor Vicky Dalton said it’s wise to spread out the tax questions, not so much to help them pass but to help voters make better choices.

“It can become confusing and harder for voters to differentiate,” Dalton said.

Commissioners last week put the assessor’s and treasurer’s offices on speakerphone to find out when tax bills and new property valuations will be mailed. They feared that residents opening up the notices too close to a vote wouldn’t give a new tax a fair shake.

“We have to be strategic, but we can over-massage this thing and over-strategize,” Commissioner Mark Richard said during Monday’s discussion.

Two separate countywide votes in the coming months won’t be cheap. Dalton said a countywide election costs about $400,000.

Governments that put items on a special election ballot divide the costs of an election. But the county would have to pick up almost the whole tab for the April vote because only Liberty Lake is expected to have another item on the ballot. Although a few school districts and a couple of cities are expected to ask for more money in March, the county may have to pick up the majority of that election bill as well.

If the county votes were held in August or November, it wouldn’t cost taxpayers extra, because the county will be holding elections on those days with or without extra tax questions.

The August election was ruled out for the emergency communications tax because officials felt an earlier date could use momentum from last year’s unsuccessful vote to help it pass. The tax failed in November by fewer than 300 votes.

Commissioner Bonnie Mager argued that the jail sales tax should be considered in August to save money.

“That’s a lot of money for something that’s probably going to pass anyway,” Mager said, noting that the jails sales tax passed by a wide margin the last time it was considered.

But following the advice of County CEO Marshall Farnell, the commission selected an earlier date so they could ask voters a second time for the money if they reject it in March.

Losing the jails sales tax “would really throw us into a tailspin,” Farnell said. “I would sleep better if we had (the vote) in the spring.”

County leaders stressed that just because they’ve tentatively selected a date for the Crime Check and emergency communications sales tax doesn’t mean it will occur. They say they want to see strong public support from cities, fire districts and leaders such as Spokane police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick

Richard added that he won’t support putting the tax on the ballot unless it has a sunset clause. Had the tax passed in November, it would have continued indefinitely.

Farnell noted that oil prices and other economic factors could hurt chances for more taxes, too. And there are concerns that the United States could be slipping into a recession.

“You keep hearing the R-word a lot,” Farnell said.

Meanwhile, all three county commissioners said they don’t believe it’s necessary to hold another advisory vote to renew a mental health sales tax. Commissioners have the power to enact the tax, but asked voters for their opinion anyway in 2005.

After 58 percent of voters said yes, commissioners approved the tax.

The extra funding expires in about 15 months.

“It seemed the public overwhelmingly supported the concept,” Richard said.

“I’m not sure I would need to hear that again.”