I’ve been reading that Republicans in our state Legislature want to fully fund education by adjusting the property tax. This would result in across-the-board increases in property taxes in King County.
There is a severe affordable housing and homelessness crisis in King County. Anything that increases property taxes at this point will only exacerbate those problems.
I would propose two new taxes. First, a head tax paid by employers on every foreign national brought in on an H-1B visa. Second, a 15 percent surcharge on all property sales to foreign nationals, similar to British Columbia’s. If employers are saying we don’t have enough qualified Americans to fill these jobs, taxes on these skilled foreign workers can go directly to funding the education necessary to prepare our citizens for these jobs. Taxing wealthy foreigners who want to invest in real estate here would help moderate home prices as well as fund our educational system.
It is time to stop piling on the property tax and think of some new alternatives.
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Barbara Banfield, Langley