PRESS RELEASE
January 16, 2002

Property tax collection amounts for 2002 have been finalized for all Kitsap County taxing districts. Approval last year of the citizens' Initiative 747, which limited most increases to 1% over the previous year's levy, had a definite impact on the amounts to be collected this year. While a few districts were able to exceed the 1% limit due to preserved capacity from previous years, most districts ended up taking a 1% increase for this year. A list of all Kitsap County districts showing the amount of increase from last year is attached.

Taxpayers in the following districts will notice fairly significant changes in the tax bills to be sent out in mid February as a result of either votes of the electorate or decisions of elected officials:

1. Bainbridge Islanders will see their overall taxes collected for Island services decrease. The Parks & Rec maintenance and operations levy collected last year at $1.26/$1000 will not be collected in 2002 while the Bainbridge Island School District bond levy rate increases from $1.95 to $2.64. Coupling this with decreases of $.11 in the city levy rate, $.08 in the Island Fire District rate, $.07 in the Park District bond, and $.15 in the school district operations and maintenance levy rate results in a net decrease of $.98 per $1000 of value. Although Bainbridge voters approved an $8,000,000 bonding last November for open space and parks; the bonds have not been sold and therefore no property tax collection will take place in 2002. For the median priced house on Bainbridge of $415,000 this represents a savings of $407 in 2002.
    
2. North Kitsap School District taxpayers will see taxes go up as a result of the March 13, 2001 approval of a $60,897,500 bond for school construction, which caused an increase in the levy rate of $.41 per $1000 of value.
    
3. South Kitsap School District taxpayers will see the largest increases in the county. No school district operations and maintenance levy was collected in 2001. South Kitsap voters approved a four-year levy in the amount of $46,035,000 last February 6th. $10,945,000 will be collected this year at a rate of $3.23 per $1000 that was not collected last year from South Kitsap property owners.
    
4. Citizens throughout the county approved a five-year $.16 per $1000 levy last November to build a new CENCOM (911) facility. This will show up for the first time on the 2002 tax statements for all county taxpayers.

Senior Citizen (61 yrs old) and disabled property owners, living in their homes, with family incomes below $30,000/yr are eligible for significant property tax exemptions. Any persons meeting the above criteria not currently claiming this exemption should contact the Assessor's office at 337-4904.

For additional information on any of the above please contact Sharon Floyd (337-7091) or Jim Avery (337-7085).