Liberty Road attended the Whatcom County Council's, December 6, 2022, evening Council Meeting via Zoom. The reason for attending this meeting was to hear what the attending audience said during public comments on Agenda Item: Ordinance AB2022-688, the newly approved property tax levy known as 'Prop 5.' During the public comment period it was very obvious that the 'Pro' Prop 5 comments were demanding that the Council give final approval and placement on to the Whatcom County Property Taxes as a 'rate-based' tax levy vs the regular order of a 'budget-based' tax levy.

Before I go on with this article it is important that the reader understand the difference between a rate based levy vs a budget based levy.

   Struggle…

      Dying…

         Dying…

             Gone

If you have been one of the honest people and businesses out there who have filed for your ERC tax credits, then you are also one of thousands if not millions who have seen the coming collapse of your small business as you stream down the pages of the Excel worksheets that show the declining revenue of your business.

These numbers mirror your struggles to shift from customers who used to come into your store, from customers who only use the drive through, call-in for a pickup, or purchase online. Let's face it, the covid shutdown changed the way we shop and businesses see it within their financial reports.

The lockdown/shutdown worked for the big boys who were well staffed with technicians to make this shift happen. They had the purchasing power to curtail the worst of the supply chain disruptions and they were allowed to stay open, too. They even managed to gobble up your former employees and you're still wondering, "Where did all the working class go?"

On Monday, November 28th, the Whatcom County Auditor's Office accepted a number of ballots and letters. The ballots accepted on November 28th, put the "Yes for Whatcom Kids," aka Prop 5 special property tax levy, approximately 20 votes over the 60% threshold needed to pass. This event has effectively given it the green light to increase your property tax bill for the next 10-years.

There were a number of private citizens at the Auditor's Office who observed this. One of those observers was Doris Smith. Doris has shared her letter written to WC Auditor, Diana Bradrick, with Liberty Road. Doris' letter publicly expressed her concern about the lack of transparency that she, and others, observed when these ballots/letters were delivered to the Auditor's Office.