Whatcom County auditor verifies Initiative 2024-01 petition, clearing way for November ballots

Initiative 2024-01, which would repeal a Whatcom County childcare tax, has successfully submitted the required number of petition signatures to appear in November 5 general election, according to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office.

The auditor’s office has sent a certification of sufficiency to Whatcom County Council to approve. An ordinance stating the initiative will be on November ballots is anticipated to be introduced to county council on June 18, with possible action taken at the July 9 council meeting, Whatcom County Council clerk Dana Brown-Davis said.

The measure will appear in the election regardless of council’s vote. Council has the option to not take action, pass the ordinance stating the initiative will go on ballots as written, or adopt a substitute proposal and both proposals would go on ballots, Brown-Davis said.

A political action committee called Sound Economy Washington submitted the petition with 9,833 signatures to the auditor’s office on June 3. Auditor Stacy Henthorn said the auditor’s office only needed to review the number of signatures required, which was 6,392.

The PAC is petitioning to repeal Proposition 5, which passed by only 20 votes in November 2022 to create the Healthy Children’s Fund. The 10-year levy is set to collect about $10 million in taxes each year, at a rate of $0.19 per $1,000 in assessed property value, about $95 for a homeowner of a $500,000 home. 

The Whatcom County Health and Community Service has started allocating the money to different organizations supporting early learning programs, childcare and support for vulnerable children.