Property owners: pay increased taxes, whether on a fixed income or not
Renters/Tenants: Landlords will transfer cost of increased taxes in the form of rent increases, whether on a fixed income or not.
Younger people who want to live in Kenmore: ever increasing taxes and fees placed on residents puts home ownership farther and farther out of reach for our younger generation.
Shoppers will have to pay higher prices, or shop elsewhere: Businesses will have to pass increased rent/costs from increased taxes to all who shop at Kenmore businesses.
Every fee added to a developer, every fee added to a vehicle license, every fee added to gas, light, and solid waste disposal makes it more and more difficult for our younger residents, children of residents, older residents on a fixed income, and (want to be) residents to actually become a neighbor.
Council member Nathan Loutsis stated at the July 20, 2026 City Council Regular Meeting:
"When it comes to home ownership and thinking about affordability, it's something that my generation is seeing slip further and further away. Now, the average age of first-time home buyers is higher than ever. And part of that has to do with just increasing unaffordability.... ...and when it comes to me thinking about what can I afford down the line... ...it seems to slip a little bit further and further away.
....each thousand dollars that we add in fees here and there... ...will make it less likely that our community will attract younger families and younger home buyers."
Increased taxes and fees are a backdoor way to exclude people from becoming Kenmore residents. Of the people who already reside here, increased taxes and fees make it more difficult to stay in Kenmore.
Kenmore is misleading voters; we already pay into climate action, parks, and human services:
King County Parks Levy (passed 2025, funded through 2031) funds the following:
Keep parks and trails clean, safe, and open; offer new amenities and recreational activities; create a climate response fund; increases capacity for forest stewardship; and accelerate regional trail expansion.
Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services (passed 2023, funded through 2029).
King County’s Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) expands access to critical human services to improve overall health and well-being, create thriving communities, and reduce disparities throughout King County.
The VSHSL is a six-year property tax levy that invests in three priority populations:
Veterans, service members, and their respective families
Seniors and their caregivers
Resilient communities
The VSHSL provides funding to, and partners with, organizations that offer programs and services to help King County residents achieve housing and financial stability, become more socially connected and engaged, increase health and wellness, and access systems and services that support their individual needs.
Kenmore Senior Center is funded through Northshore Parks and Recreation Service Area (NPRSA), a separate taxing district for Kenmore residents.
The NPRSA is a special tax district established by voters in 1988 and expanded in 2001. It shares its boundaries with the Northshore School District.
The purpose of the NPRSA is to levy taxes and to use the revenue to develop, build, and maintain parks and recreation facilities to serve the residents of Bothell, Kenmore, Woodinville, King and Snohomish Counties. The NPRSA is unique among Washington State special tax districts in its focus on facilities for older adults.
If passed, the Prop. 1 Levy Lid Lift (LLL) would raise property taxes and would generate revenue for any purpose.
We are not guaranteed which programming or projects related to Climate Action, Housing or Human Services will be funded, if at all.
As more of your dollars leave the City of Kenmore for regional coordinated investments, we should require efficiency of those funds for more tangible results within our community.
To date City of Kenmore has contributed to the ARCH Housing Trust Fund, yet there have been no new affordable homes built with those funds in Kenmore.
The Larus Project that was slated to be built and house over 100+ low income seniors has now been cancelled.
This same concern applies to Human Services. The City of Kenmore does not offer any Human Services within the City, only coordinates them. This would not change with the proposed levy funding.
During the pandemic, Kenmore received one time federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding intended to help communities respond to extraordinary circumstances and invest in recovery. Those dollars were never meant to permanently expand the City's ongoing operating budget.
Instead of using this temporary funding to strengthen long term financial stability, the City incorporated it into ongoing spending commitments through the Special Projects Fund which is also part of the “Expanded” service level budget category, not “Core or Basic”.
As the federal funding has now been all spent, the City is left with structural budget pressures that cannot be sustained by existing revenues.
The City of Kenmore would be wise to heed the budget wisdom of two former Democrat Washington State Governors: Gary Locke and Christine Gregoire:
Former Democrat Governor Gary Locke agrees with other prominent Democrats who have sharp criticism over Washington's spending and taxes.
Locke stated, "You cannot take one-time money, whether it’s COVID money or any federal funding, if it’s one-time, and use it to pay for permanent, ongoing programs.”
"Because if the money is only for one year, how are you going to pay for the program the next year, the second year, the third year, the fourth year?”
Former Democrat Governor Christine Gregoire in May argued that, "Washington has a spending problem, not a revenue problem."
"When you know how much revenue you’re going to get next year and you intentionally spend beyond that, you have a problem.”
The recent King County Parks Levy was approved in 2025. Within that, the City was awarded a grant to purchase the Lakepointe property. This shows that the City can and will do great things with County and Federal dollars, and that they continue to find way to fund these priorities without adding another regressive tax.
Through Puget Sound Energy, Kenmore taxes users an added 7% (with gross up) for natural gas, and 4.4% (with gross up) for electricity. City of Kenmore uses these to fund the goals for carbon neutrality.
Kenmore approved the Rapid Plus option to invest in culverts and salmon habitat which is currently funded through our Surface Water Management fees (6% on bill).
There are several other additional fees that have recently been added as well
How many lower income or fixed income residents can absorb more increases in fees, whether through direct billing or rent increases?
Taxes the city of Kenmore collects from its residents - statutory:
Property tax $0.81 per $1,000 of assessed value (2026 levy)
Electricity 4.00% ~(4.4% with Gross-up)
Natural gas 6.00% ~(7% with Gross-up)
Telephone (landline) 6.00%
Cellular telephone 6.00%
Cable television 6.00%
Surface water 6.00%
Garbage 10.00% Solid waste collection
Cable TV franchise fee 5.00% Paid by cable operator (typically embedded in provider costs, not separately billed to customers)
Retail sales tax (City/Local) 3.8%
Kenmore increased vehicle license fees to $40 per vehicle.
The increases in taxes and fees frequently affect those who can least afford them: the young who are starting out, those with a low income, parents, the elderly, and more.
There is a lot of take and we support the goals, but we would like to see more of the give within Kenmore with these dollars