Repeal initiative for Whatcom County child care tax clears another November ballot hurdle
A group of Whatcom County residents is one step closer to getting a repeal initiative on the November ballot for a current property tax measure that supports child care and other services for local children and families.
The Whatcom County Auditor’s Office received an Initiative Petition to repeal the Children’s Initiative Levy on June 3, with thousands of signatures from Whatcom County voters.
The initiative required a minimum of 6,392 signatures to equal at least 8% of the vote cast in the county in the last regular county executive election, which was a total of 79,902.
The Auditor’s Office reviewed and submitted the petition to the Whatcom County Council’s office on June 5.
Several other steps in the process need to be completed for the repeal initiative to appear on the Nov. 11 general election ballot, including approval from the Whatcom County Council and resubmission to the Auditor’s Office by Aug. 6.
If the initiative moves forward, Whatcom County voters will have the opportunity to vote on whether to repeal the tax.
The Whatcom County childcare tax measure, known as Proposition 5 on the ballot, was approved by a majority vote in the 2022 local election.
It funds child care and preschool programs, helps homeless youth and abused children, and provides mental health services for children and families.
The tax charges property owners about 19 cents for every $1,000 of assessed valuation, raising about $8.2 million annually. The owner of a home assessed at $500,000 pays about $95 a year for the 10-year life of the levy.
The repeal initiative claims the increase in property taxes incurred by Proposition 5 is burdensome for property owners, contributes to the local increase in housing costs for both homeowners and renters, and unjustly impacts residents on fixed incomes.
This story was originally published June 8, 2024 at 11:00 AM.
