Charter commission narrowly rejects supermajority requirement for county property tax increases

The Whatcom County Charter Review Commission debated a citizen-drafted amendment that would require a supermajority of County Council votes to approve property tax increases and rejected it after robust public comment and commissioner debate.

The amendment, proposed by Commissioner John Mutschler, would have required five of seven council members to approve any increase in the county portion of property taxes beyond statutory exceptions. Proponents said the change would restrain tax growth and protect renters and homeowners; opponents said a supermajority would make it harder to respond to fiscal shortfalls and would force deeper cuts to services or layoffs in down years.

Misty Flowers, a public commenter, said she supported the amendment because “we’re seeing such a huge inflation on property taxes that it is causing a much higher problem with housing, availability and affordability.” Chris Fletcher and other speakers warned the commission that multiple proposed charter amendments risk confusing voters and that outreach and clarity were necessary.

Commissioner Joel Pitts Jordan urged a no vote, saying the amendment would “come in bad years … and it’s going to come in years when the economy is likely already struggling,” and that constraints would translate into cuts to services and layoffs. Commissioner Andrew Redding also opposed blanket supermajorities as “minority vetoes.” Commissioner Colton Coltenfelt, among others, supported the measure as a way to force broader agreement before raising taxes.

The motion to adopt the amendment was moved by Commissioner Mutschler and seconded. The roll-call vote recorded seven yes votes and eight no votes, and the motion failed. Transcript-recorded yes votes included Joe Ellenbosch, Lindsey Graham Ellenbosch, Brad Kelly, John Mutschler, Anna Ordos, Rod Stump and Doug Chadwick. Recorded no votes included Liz Darrow, Colton Coltenfelt, Maya Morales, Joel Pitts Jordan, Andrew Redding, Jennifer Wright, Eamon Collins and one other recorded against vote; the motion failed by 7–8.

Why it mattered: The measure directly addressed tax policy and how the county responds to fiscal pressure; supporters said the change would protect taxpayers, particularly renters, from escalating property levies, while opponents said it would limit the council’s ability to preserve services when revenues fall.

The commission did not send the amendment to the ballot. Instead the proposal was recorded as defeated at the meeting and will not appear on the commission’s set of introduced charter amendments as drafted.