At the December 10, 2024, City Council Meeting, the Council adopted Ordinance 1194, establishing a 3% Sewer Utility Tax in 2025 and 6% in 2026. Starting March 10, 2025, the city will start collecting a sewer utility tax from the Lake Stevens Sewer District. This is an essential step for maintaining and improving our city's infrastructure.

Why this change? 

The city currently collects utility taxes for power, phone, gas, water, and garbage. Lake Stevens is one of the few cities in Snohomish County that has not imposed a sewer utility tax. 

The funds from this new sewer tax will be allocated to:

-    Street and sewer infrastructure, and maintenance

-    Construction and reconstruction projects

-    Road repairs, especially those impacted by large utility trucks

-    Extending sewer services to unserved areas

The utility tax is imposed on utility companies operating in the city, not customers directly. However, providers may pass on the cost to customers as a fee.

The city’s goal is to ensure our roads remain safe and our city continues to grow responsibly, and this is the next step to achieve that goal.