Kenmore Sound

City Hall · Nov 24, 2025

Kenmore City Council scheduled adoption vote on proposed 2026 property tax levy of $6,365,600

Proposed Ordinance No. 25-0636 would set the 2026 regular property tax levy at $6,365,600, a 3.91% increase over 2025, with adoption scheduled at the Nov. 24 City Council meeting.

What the records say

The City of Kenmore scheduled adoption of Proposed Ordinance No. 25-0636, the 2026 regular property tax levy, at its Nov. 24, 2025 City Council meeting, presented by Finance & Administration Director Melinda Merrell. The proposed levy is $6,365,600, a 3.91% increase over the 2025 levy of $6,126,068, composed of a 1% base increase ($61,261), $133,709 in banked capacity, and $44,562 from new construction. Because citywide assessed valuation rose about 13.7%, the levy rate would drop from $0.77 to about $0.70 per $1,000 of assessed value. A public hearing on the proposal was held Nov. 10; the supplied records do not establish the outcome of the Nov. 24 adoption vote. 1

  • The proposed 2026 regular levy is $6,365,600, a 3.91% increase over the 2025 levy of $6,126,068, including $133,709 of banked capacity and $44,562 from new construction.
  • Because preliminary assessed valuation rose about 13.7% to roughly $9.08 billion, the levy rate would decrease from $0.77 to about $0.70 per $1,000 of assessed value.
  • A public hearing on the proposed levy was held Nov. 10, 2025, with no one signed up to speak; adoption was scheduled for the Nov. 24 meeting 1.
  • The same agenda also scheduled adoption of Proposed Ordinance No. 25-0637, a separate excess levy of $1,055,350 for debt service on the voter-approved Walkways & Waterways bonds.

Why it matters

The levy sets the City of Kenmore's operating property tax, one part of residents' total tax bill. On the city's estimate, the city's share of property tax on a median-valued home of about $1,095,700 would be roughly $768 for 2026, and the city's levy rate would fall even as the total levy rises. The ordinance must be set and filed with King County by Nov. 30, so the Nov. 24 vote was the scheduled action point. 1

What changed / what's next

  • The city placed the 2026 regular property tax levy ordinance on the Nov. 24 City Council agenda for adoption, with the presentation added to the agenda packet on Nov. 21. 1
  • Whether the council adopted Ordinance No. 25-0636 on Nov. 24; the pre-meeting record does not establish the outcome. The agenda bill states Nov. 30, 2025 is the deadline to set the levy by ordinance and file it with King County. 1
  • The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.