Everett property owners and families will get two chances on Oct. 20 to weigh in on a $3.37 billion county budget that proposes higher property taxes and new school impact fees.
The Snohomish County Council voted 5-0 on Tuesday, Sept. 8, to schedule a public hearing on the 2027-28 biennial budget for Oct. 20 at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Vice-Chair Sam Low made the motion. Councilmember Nate Nehring seconded it.
The hearing covers dozens of budget ordinances, according to county council records.
Among them: eight property tax ordinances for 2027, the full biennial budget appropriation and Budget Ordinance 26-057. That ordinance would adopt capital facilities plans for 10 school districts, including Everett No. 2, and amend the county's school impact fee schedule under Snohomish County Code 30.66C.100.
What the budget proposes
County Executive Dave Somers submitted the $3.37 billion plan on Sept. 1 to close a projected $56 million general fund deficit. The total represents a 4.6% increase over the county's previous $3.22 billion biennial budget, as the Daily Herald reported.
The proposal calls for the standard 1% annual property tax increase plus all remaining 4.3% in banked capacity from prior years. For the owner of an average-valued home of $741,000, that means about $41 more per year in property taxes, according to the Everett Post.
On the spending side, the plan cuts about $22 million over two years, eliminating 79 vacant positions and 11 filled positions.
Everett school impact fees
The Everett Public Schools Board of Directors adopted Resolution 1339, the district's Capital Facilities Plan for 2026-31, at its June 23 meeting, according to board records.
Once the County Council approves the plan, updated school impact fees for new residential housing permitted in unincorporated portions of the Everett School District would take effect Jan. 1, 2027, and run through Dec. 31, 2028.
Specific dollar amounts for the updated fees do not appear in the county's hearing notice or the district's board records.
Council divided on taxes
The budget has drawn disagreement among council members. When Somers presented the plan, Councilmember Nehring told the Everett Post he planned to oppose the proposed property tax increases.
"The proposed budget largely relies upon property tax increases and a 3% across-the-board cut which avoids the difficult work of setting priorities," Nehring said on Sept. 2.
Council Chair Megan Dunn, who represents District 2 including Everett, said on Sept. 2 that she wanted the council's review to weigh both county services and the cost burden on families.
Councilmember Jared Mead said at the Sept. 1 budget presentation that the council should consider the cumulative burden of recent tax and fee increases, the Lynnwood Times reported.
The council approved a 0.1% criminal justice sales tax on Aug. 12, expected to generate about $24 million annually, along with a $20 annual car tab fee for vehicles registered in unincorporated Snohomish County, projected to bring in roughly $6 million per year for road and bridge work.
How to weigh in
The County Council has scheduled a Community Budget Forum for 6 p.m. Oct. 7. The formal public hearing follows Oct. 20 at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Council committee meetings are suspended during budget deliberations and are tentatively set to resume Nov. 24. The council is expected to vote on the final budget by the end of November.
