Leavenworth weighs 1% property tax levy increase for 2027

LEAVENWORTH — The City of Leavenworth is considering a 1% increase in its property tax levy for 2027, which would generate approximately $7,800 in additional revenue over the existing levy.

During an Oct. 27 city council meeting, Finance Director Chantell Steiner clarified that the annual 1% increase is not a direct 1% increase on individual property owner assessments, but an increase on the city’s revenue request from the previous year. The city's 2026 property tax levy rate was $0.75526 per $1,000 of assessed value.

According to Steiner, the proposed increase, with about $22,200 in new construction revenue, would bring the total property tax available to approximately $808,300 in 2027.

“What can that buy? Well, if we only had public safety and nothing else — no streets or anything else to worry about — our public safety costs are over a million dollars,” said Steiner.

Steiner estimated public safety costs to rise about 3.4% next year, which includes the jail, RiverCom, prosecutor, emergency management, fire marshal, and law enforcement. The city’s largest contract is law enforcement, which will total $845,370 next year.

If the city chooses not to take the 1% increase, it can bank the unused taxing capacity for potential use in future years. However, Steiner warned that foregoing an annual increase reduces the base amount on which future 1% increases are calculated, limiting the city's revenue growth over time.

The city received no public comments during its Oct. 27 hearing on property tax. The city will hold a preliminary public budget hearing on Nov. 10 and a final hearing on Nov. 24. The city must submit final property tax requests to the Assessor’s Office by Nov. 30. The final public budget document is expected to be published online in December.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media