Budget-Based Levies

Most levies in Kittitas County are budget-based levies. This means each taxing district is responsible for creating a budget that reflects the funds they need to run their district. This budgeted amount can be thought of as a pie. The assessed value of a property in that district determines what piece of the pie they are responsible for paying.

For example, if there were four properties in a taxing district, each property has an assessed value of $500,000, and the budget for that taxing district is $1,000 then each property would pay $250 in taxes.

If all the properties in the taxing district increased in assessed value to $600,000 then the tax amount for each property would stay the same. This is because each property’s assessed value is the same percentage of the total value of all the properties. An increase in property assessed value does not mean there will be an increase in property tax.

Below is an example if the properties in the taxing district were different values. Each property pays taxes in relation to what percentage of the value the property is in relation to the total value of all the properties in the taxing district.

Lastly if the tax district budget increases, but the properties stay the same value, then the taxes owing for each property would increase. For example, if the four properties in this taxing district had a $500,000 assessed value each, but the district budget increased to $1,200 then each property would pay $300 in taxes.