A request by town officials in Eatonville for more property taxes to pay for public safety is being rejected by voters. In unofficial results from the general election that ended Tuesday, 63 percent of the votes were against it. The measure requires a 60 percent approval to pass. Of the 1,600-plus registered voters in Eatonville, about 40 percent had returned their ballots as of Tuesday, according to the Pierce County elections department. The levy would add $342,876 in property taxes in the town to help cover the cost of public safety in 2015. The levy would raise taxes by $2 per $1,000 of assessed valuation and would be collected only for next year, which is when town officials say Eatonville will face a $270,000 shortfall in public safety funding. To continue past 2015, the levy would have to be on the ballot in next year's election and be approved by voters. As an example of the additional tax bill for landowners, taxes would have gone up $200 next year for property assessed at $100,000. Mayor Mike Schaub and other officials have said a long-term, sustainable source of funding for police and fire protection is needed. To reduce costs, the town has replaced its fire and police chiefs with new chiefs hired on a contract basis from South Pierce Fire and Rescue and the Pierce County Sheriff Department, respectively. The possibility of merging Eatonville's fire department with South Pierce as another money-saving move has been discussed.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment