Washington state lawmakers decided to curb property tax growth in 2001 with a fixed 1% cap. The extreme measure has forced towns to reduce police protection, decommission fire trucks, close municipal pools and abandon public safety projects. Many wonder if the cap is helping.

An op-ed piece in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer describes the situation:

Yet local governments, which use property taxes to finance many core services, are not flush, either. That is especially true of smaller jurisdictions, cities and counties in mostly rural parts of the state. In those places, [the tax cap] has been a disaster, forcing deep cuts in basic services—such things as police and emergency services—that we all rely on for our basic security and well-being.

Tax policy is complex, but the complaint made is simple. The inability to provide basic services was never an intended goal of the 1% cap, just an unfortunate consequence. Dramatic changes in policy or procedure might win votes and be tremendously popular, but drastic measures usually lead to drastic results. The intensity and variation of outcomes is hard to control.

Slaughter Development helps organizations study, understand and implement organizational change, but with a focus on long-term sustained effort as opposed to instant, overnight solutions. If you are looking to improve business processes and recognize that improvement takes time and commitment, consider contacting us to schedule an appointment. We would love to hear from you and help you steadily and productively transform into a more effective organization.

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