UPlace: Tax burden is already heavy enough

If you are a homeowner in University Place, you probably know that you already pay one of the highest property tax rates in the state at $16.51 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. If you own a home assessed at $450,000, you currently pay almost $7,000 per year.

Soon University Place residents will be asked to pay even more – another 75 cents per $1,000 or an additional $337 per year for parks and recreation programs.

When hosting the 2015 U.S Golf Open, officials opted to discount the normal permit fee of $400,000 to only $25,000 – instead choosing to have the homeowners of University Place pay more rather than accepting the normal permit fee which could have been utilized for additional police or other basic programs.

Instead they threaten to close programs or even reduce police staffing unless we pay even more.

The city should prioritize basic functions, like safety to our neighborhood as No. 1. I question whether roundabouts and “nice to have” items qualify.

Citizens should say enough; city officials need to set a goal to reduce our enormous tax burden and focus on the basics. Vote no on creating a metropolitan park district.

This story was originally published March 2, 2016 at 9:43 AM with the headline "UPlace: Tax burden is already heavy enough."