Pullman residents concerned with property taxes

PULLMAN — Concerned Pullman residents gathered at the Neill Public Library Monday, April 1, to discuss property taxes increasing in certain areas.

Pullman resident John Swenson said that at the meeting they explained to people what it is that they’re trying to bring attention to.

Residents say there are procedural problems

According to a site made by residents, many homeowners in the City of Pullman have seen their taxes increase 15% to 200% in the year 2024, including those on Pioneer Hill and Sunnyside Hill. “It also includes some others throughout the city, most often those who made a purchase in the 2020-2022 timeframe,” said a website overview the residents made, whitmanpropertytax.site.

The overview lists three points: this is not a tax increase on the county as a whole; each tax district, by state law, is only allowed to increase taxes by 1% per year; and this is a problem with the revaluation procedure that is making those who were revalued this year pay an outsized portion of the taxes.

Assessor responds

Whitman County assessor Wraylee Flodin said that she was invited to the meeting, but was not able to attend.

Flodin said she knew that the meeting had to do with residents concerned about property tax increases.

“The taxes are higher, because the values were raised on the south (hill),” Flodin said, “Assessed value divided by a thousand times the levy rates.”

Flodin said that the evaluation happens every six years, and the south half of Pullman was done in 2023 for 2024 taxes. “The north side is going through that right now,” she said.

According to Flodin, all of the assessed values that were changed were deemed changed and noted. “It is a lengthy process,” she said, adding that if taxpayers have any concerns they are there to answer questions.

“They are welcome to go over them with us,” Flodin said, “and there is information on our website.”

Residents cite laws

According to residents the revaluation plan does not follow Washington State law.

The Pullman residents argue that the assessor(s) have not been following state law according to RCW 84.40.030 “All property must be valued at one hundred percent of its true and fair value in money and assessed on the same basis unless specifically provided otherwise by law.”

According to residents, by not following this law has created a situation where one group is taxed unequally, even with a systematic process of physical inspection.

Residents also cite RCW 84.41.030, “Each county assessor must maintain an active and systematic program revaluation on a continuous basis. All taxable real property within a county must be revalued annually, and all taxable real property within a county must be physically inspected at least once every six years.”

According to residents this law is not being followed since their claim is that revaluation only occurs on a year with a physical inspection.

Plans moving forward

At the April 1 meeting Swenson said that they had approximately 50 to 55 people in attendance, including District 9 State Representative Mary Dye, and Pullman City Councilman Eric Fejeran.

Pullman resident Joe Harris and Swenson gave the presentation. “There were a lot of questions and even some additional information provided by the attendees about things like staffing problems in the assessor’s office,” Swenson said.

Swenson said that their plans going forward is to generate a demand letter laying out the case on historical revaluation and current county revaluation plans to follow state and case law. “First we seek a voluntary correction of the problem,” he said.

If unsuccessful in their plan, Swenson said that the residents intend to take the case to Superior Court.