Washington's RCW 84.55 limits how much an existing taxing district can grow its regular levy each year — by 1%. Whatcom County's total property tax revenue grew from $295M in 2017 to $523M in 2026 — a 77.4% increase over nine years. The cap, on its terms, would have allowed about 9.4%.
The gap is real, but the cap isn't being broken — it's being routed around. New voter-approved levies, lid lifts, special districts, and reassessment relative to neighbors all sit outside the 1% rule. Each was approved at a meeting most people didn't follow, or on a ballot most people didn't read closely.
This page exists to make the routing transparent at the parcel level. You see how your tax was actually calculated, which jurisdictions got which share, and which line items grew the fastest since 2018. Then you decide whether that pattern is fine or worth a closer look.
