TACOMA, Wash. — Will my property taxes increase or not? That’s what Tacoma homeowners want to know after the Tacoma City Council approved a big move last week.
We specifically asked if property owners would see an increase in what they currently pay.
We were told “no,” because the increase isn’t actually new.
This 2.6% increase has actually been in place since 2002.
But the city council voted on Wednesday to approve a levy renewal that adjusts for inflation. The measure is part of an annual update to the city’s property tax levies as required by state law.
The Tacoma Fire Department wanted to make clear: this latest increase doesn’t change anything for taxpayers.
“We don’t want people to panic and think this is a new tax. This is a tax that was already in place,” says Chelsea Shepherd with Tacoma Fire.
“This actually just maintains our current level of emergency medical services,” she continues. “We spend about 80% of our time responding to emergency medical calls. So, that is an important part of our function as the fire department.”
The money will specifically benefit the Tacoma Fire. It covers staff and transportation, as well as maintenance and upkeep.
The city council initially wanted to raise the levy rate by 6% for next year. However, it will only increase it by 2.6% because any higher would’ve exceeded a $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value limit that coincides with inflation.
Those living around the city are frustrated that it’s at their expense.
“We need medical services, police, fire…we need all of that stuff,” Darren Lamb agreed. “I just think the way they are getting the money to pay for those services is wrong,” says the Tacoma homeowner.
I asked another resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, if there was anything he planned to do about it. His response was, “I sell and move. I mean, our taxes are too high in this area.”
However, taxpayers won’t see a difference in service.
There’s no new staffing or building upgrades as a result. Just the upkeep and maintenance to uphold their current volume.
Tacoma Fire says that it received more than 90 calls from midnight to noon on Monday alone.
“So, every time someone’s in a car accident and we respond and have to transport somebody to the hospital, that’s the kind of thing that these dollars go towards,” Shepherd said.
She says the city is responding to more medical calls as the population continues to grow.
Shepherd insists that Tacoma Fire needs the funds from the property tax increase to maintain their current response levels.
Another thing to note is that this issue isn’t going away. This levy will be presented to the Tacoma City Council annually, with adjustments to be made in 2029.
From there, the conversation about another levy lid lift for emergency medical services will be back on the table.
©2025 Cox Media Group
