Letter: Arnett offers a plan for property taxes

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Editor,

My property tax bill has climbed for years while my income has stayed flat. A lot of my neighbors are in the same bind — house-rich, cash-poor, quietly wondering how long they can hold on to their own home. So in the race for County Commissioner, District 3, I wanted someone who has actually thought this through. That’s Satin Arnett, and she has my vote.

I read her position paper on property taxes expecting the usual pledge to “fight for seniors.” Instead I found something specific: she argues our current relief and exemption system is failing people because the eligibility rules don’t reflect what folks can really afford to pay. Her fixes are concrete — simplify the application, get the word out so eligible residents actually use the exemptions they qualify for, and reform the formulas to weigh real income over paper wealth. I liked that. It’s the difference between a slogan and a plan.

It fits her background. Satin has spent years as our 10th District state committee representative and in leadership on the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, so she understands how tax policy and state funding actually move — not just how to talk about them. That experience is exactly what a commissioner needs and what most first-time candidates lack.

A lot of people who own property up and down the West Coast look at real estate through an investment lens. For the rest of us, rising prices pushing seniors out of our homes isn’t a portfolio decision — it’s a kitchen-table conversation. And I’ll be honest: having a real-estate investor as our commissioner, making the decisions on zoning and land use, concerns me.

I’m past being moved by slogans. I want a commissioner who understands the systems and will use them to help longtime residents stay in their homes. Satin does, and that’s why she’s getting my vote.

Donna Conner

Camano Island