Bellingham mayor announces change in plan on proposed tax to fight climate change
Bellingham won’t ask voters for a special property tax to fund measures aimed at helping the city reduce its carbon footprint, according to a statement from Mayor Seth Fleetwood, who denied that he was bowing to fears that the measure wouldn’t pass this year.
“This is in no way a retrenchment,” Fleetwood said in a statement that was posted at the city’s website late Tuesday, June 21.
“We remain fully committed to the critical job of making urgent progress on climate action. But it is a ‘strategic pause’ to build support and in response to community feedback concerning the timing of this measure,” he said.
Fleetwood’s decision means the City Council won’t need to hold a public hearing as expected next week on the proposed tax and decide whether to place the measure on the Nov. 8 election ballot.
At least two City Council members expressed reservations recently about the proposed tax during a June 6 committee discussion, citing the effects of inflation on the middle class and the looming possibility of an economic recession.
“I’ve made a very concerted effort to talk to people that perhaps their voices aren’t always the ones that are in front of us. Everybody’s concerned about climate. But overall the consensus I’ve had is that people are tax fatigued,” said Councilwoman Lisa Anderson.
Further, Whatcom County voters will be voting on a tax to fund new child-care and pre-kindergarten education programs, and likely will see a request to renew the countywide emergency medical services levy, said Councilman Dan Hammill.
Hammill warned that a Bellingham Schools bond measure barely passed in a Feb. 8 special election, even though Bellingham voters are usually generous with special tax-supported funding for schools, roads, low-income housing and the city’s Greenways trail program.
Meanwhile, Fleetwood said Tuesday that he would move ahead with plans to create an Office of Climate Action with a staff to assist Seth Vidaña, the city’s climate and energy manager.
Fleetwood disclosed those plans during the June 6 committee session, where he also urged the council to continue considering a tax to fund climate initiatives.
“I know that there have been some expressions of concern mentioned by some members of the community, which I’m sensitive to,” Fleetwood told the committee.
“That, regrettably, is the lay of the land right now. I don’t know if there’s ever going to be a perfect time,” Fleetwood said.
But reversing the effects of global climate change is a “powerful and important ideal” and Bellingham could be a vanguard in that fight, he said.
Vidaña said the tax would:
▪ Help city residents and businesses switch to electricity for heating buildings and water.
▪ Encourage the use of electric cars and buses.
▪ Help lower-income residents with the cost of these changes.
Forrest Longman, the city’s deputy finance director, told the council in a March 28 presentation that such a property tax would cost the owner of a $500,000 home between $186 and $248 a year.
It was expected to raise $6 million annually.
This story was originally published June 22, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
