WA DEMOCRATS ARE TAXING US TO DEATH!

VOTE REPUBLICAN!!

Last Wednesday I stood before the Clark County Council and handed out a pair of awards no one wants: Most Taxes Raised. The winner was Councilor Sue Marshall, who by my estimate has backed $17 to $20 million a year in tax increases. That's more than any other councilor. The runner-up, close behind her, was Councilor Glen Yung.

They weren't amused. Chair Sue Marshall tried her best to shut me down, saying, "You're out of order." But it's true, and everyone needs to know that they have raised the tax burden in historic proportions. The numbers are the numbers, and on this coming Tuesday they plan to keep the spending going (you can watch it on the latest Reformcast episode 40).

On Election Day, while everyone is watching the returns, the Council will vote on new pay ranges for County executives. Some top-of-range pay rises as much as 35%. A 3.3% manager raise comes on top of that, along with a new contract template that pays 3 months' severance plus benefits. It's all on the consent agenda, meaning one vote, no discussion, and by the County's own paperwork, no public outreach.

And this is happening while the County runs a structural deficit, meaning ongoing spending is higher than ongoing revenue. By the County's own forecast, the General Fund gap runs $8 million to $14 million a year through 2030 and keeps growing, even after millions in new revenue. When the 2025 budget was adopted, the County projected that gap as high as $17.6 million a year. They have the proposal tucked away in a consent agenda item, which means it can be passed with little to no debate or discussion. How convenient.