Not an official copy.

OLYMPIA, WA
RESOLUTION NO. M-1747

A RESOLUTION declaring the City of Olympia's opposition to Initiative 722. An act limiting taxes by invalidating 1999 tax increases imposed without voter approval. Limiting taxes by exempting increases in property tax valuation above 2% per year. Limiting taxes by limiting growth of property taxes to 2% per year. Limiting taxes by repealing law which allows stockpiling of future property tax increases.

WHEREAS, Initiative 722 has been placed on the November, 2000 General Election ballot; and

WHEREAS, the potential impacts of Initiative 722 are confusing and complex; and

WHEREAS, Initiative 722 would undermine the ability of local elected officials to set taxes, fees, and charges necessary to support services in local governments; and

WHEREAS, Initiative 722 would create unfair taxation of real property by artificially limiting the assessed value of those properties; and

WHEREAS, Initiative 722 would require the refund of tax, fee, and charge increases imposed by local governments between July and December, 1999; and

WHEREAS, those refunds would create significant hardship on local governments to locate fee payers, refund, in many cases, relatively small amounts of money, and would undermine the user fee concept necessary to support many of those services; and

WHEREAS, Initiative 722 would cause a loss of over $100,000 to City of Olympia revenues necessary to ensure that users pay for parks, recreation, and engineering/land use services; and

WHEREAS, passage of I-722 would create a loss of $537,200 in water utility revenues and $1.9 million in sewage treatment system revenues needed to support those operations;

WHEREAS, these loss in revenues could force local governments to reduce services to the community such as police, fire, and parks; and

WHEREAS, Olympia believes that elected local government officials are best suited to determine the levels of service and funding mechanisms for their communities;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Olympia City Council does hereby oppose Initiative 722 and urge Olympia residents to do the same.

PASSED BY THE OLYMPIA CITY COUNCIL this day of October 2000.

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MAYOR

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CITY CLERK