Port of Seattle property tax repeal bill to be introduced for 2008 legislative session

OLYMPIA - State Senator Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines) will introduce legislation tomorrow that would repeal the property tax authority of the Port of Seattle. “I have proposed similar legislation in the past, but this year the recent audit findings should give new energy to my efforts to make the Port more accountable and less of a burden to property taxpayers.”

The Port of Seattle is the only major port on the West Coast that uses property tax levies as part of its revenue stream; the Ports of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland do not Property owners in King County pay annual property taxes, amounting to approximately $90 a year on a typical house. The property tax generates $69 million for the Port, which was found to have wasted $97.2 million in public funds from January 2004 to March 2007 in the recent audit.

“Those of use in airport communities have been vocal about the Port’s lack of accountability for years, and we are saddened to find our worst fears were indeed realistic,” Keiser commented. “I remain concerned that the auditors only examined the last three years, when we have been pointing to what we saw as excessive costs for the last ten years,” Keiser added.

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