At the Oct.22 meeting, the Port Orchard City Council approved a law setting the 2025 property tax levy.

The council held a public hearing to discuss revenue sources for the general fund and provided a comparison of the next year’s property tax levy with the current year.

Under state law, the maximum levy rates are established for various taxing districts at a 1% increase without a vote of the public. The total 2025 property tax levy is estimated at almost $4.1 million, based on an estimated rate of almost $1.10 per $1,000 of assessed value. The city’s total assessed property value is projected at almost $3.64 billion. Those figures remain estimates until certified by the Kitsap County assessor by Nov. 30. Finance director Noah Tucker attributed the growth to new construction.

The council adopted a law authorizing a $32,115 increase in the regular property tax levy, representing a less than 1% increase. For a person with a $500,000 home, the cost would be $550 a year.

Addressing concerns about the tax’s impact on homeowners, Mayor Rob Putaansuu explained the challenge of comparing taxes due to differing property values: “One might live in a $2 million home, and someone else in a $500,000 home. The proportional share is different, so the person with the higher value home pays more.”