OLYMPIA – A Democrat-sponsored bill that could dramatically increase Washington’s property taxes will receive a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee at 4 p.m. Monday, March 31. The public is encouraged to sign in CON, testify against the bill, and/or submit written testimony opposing it.

Senate Bill 5798 would remove the 1% cap on the annual rate at which state and local governments can increase property taxes without voter approval. A similar bill in 2024 proposed tripling the cap to 3%, but SB 5798 goes even further—tying increases only to inflation and population growth, with no limit, which could result in annual hikes far exceeding 3%.

Local governments support the bill because it would let them collect more money. However, current law already allows them to exceed the 1% cap, if their voters approve—a fact not advertised by the bill’s advocates.

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, strongly opposes the bill, stating:

“This policy would blow the doors off everyone’s property taxes. Had this been in effect over the past decade, Washingtonians would be paying double what they pay now. If the state or local governments want to raise property taxes beyond the 1% cap, they can already do that—they just need voter approval. That’s a critical check against excessive government growth. I’m opposed to this effort to bypass the will of the people to take more of their money.

“Washington is in the middle of a housing crisis. Homeowners and renters alike are worried about rising costs pushing them out of their homes. Larger annual property-tax hikes under this policy could lead to more foreclosures and evictions. It would also force many homeowners to sell, increasing demand for rental housing and driving rents even higher.

“Renters often think policies affecting property owners won’t touch them, but that’s not true. Landlords will have to pass tax increases on to their tenants. And if the Democrats also succeed in imposing rent control on our state , many rental-property owners—unable to recover their losses—will sell, taking those homes off the rental market permanently.

“Everyone should be concerned about this bill. If both state and local governments fully exercise the authority granted under SB 5798, property taxes could rise by 8% or more each year. The compounding effect of this tax policy over multiple years will result in billions of dollars in new property tax.”