Whatcom County homeowners are set to pay a new property tax after the county council approved a plan to fund a new Lummi Island Ferry. The decision clears the way for financing a replacement for the aging vessel that connects the island community to the mainland, shifting part of the cost onto local property owners across the county.
For residents, the new levy will translate into a modest annual cost tied to the value of their homes. According to FOX 13 Seattle, the tax would cost homeowners about 50 dollars per year on a home valued at 600,000 dollars, meaning the charge scales up or down depending on how much a given property is worth.
The push for the tax is driven largely by the condition of the current boat. The Lummi Island Ferry is now 14 years past its intended lifespan, leaving the county dependent on a vessel that has been kept in service well beyond the number of years it was originally designed to operate safely and reliably.
Keeping that older ferry running has also become an expensive proposition. Officials say maintaining the current Lummi Island Ferry costs about 500,000 dollars a year, an ongoing expense that has steadily added to the financial strain on the county as the boat continues to age and require upkeep.
The council presented the new tax as a way to steady the county's finances rather than simply a transportation measure. Members approved the plan in an effort to close a budgetary gap over the next two years, linking the ferry funding directly to the broader challenge of keeping local spending in balance.
The final measure ended up narrower than what officials had first put forward. County staff initially recommended that the council pass an ordinance extending the tax indefinitely, but council members approved an amendment just before the vote to limit the tax to a period of 18 months instead.