Washington council tables proposed wheel tax, directs staff to draft $12.50 excise fee

A majority of the Washington Common Council voted July 13 to table Ordinance 10-2026, the proposal to establish a city wheel-tax schedule, and to send staff back with a plan that sets the city excise fee at $12.50.

A council member who introduced the motion said the ordinance as presented lacked complete statutory detail and recommended matching the county’s minimum $12.50 flat excise fee and adopting the same wheel-tax schedule so the city would not lose eligibility for state funding programs. "My recommendation is that we table it tonight and instruct Jeff to make our excise tax $12.50, flat fee," the council member said during discussion.

Council members and staff discussed practical effects: some residents with newer vehicles would likely pay less under a flat fee, while the city’s total revenue impact depended on how many vehicles are registered inside the city versus the county. The mover emphasized the timing, saying the change must be completed by Sept. 1 to preserve eligibility for the Community Crossings Matching Grant (CCMG) and other state distributions.

Council members also noted procedural requirements: the ordinance will need at least two meetings to complete the introduction and final-reading steps before the Sept. 1 deadline. After the motion and a second, the council voted in favor of tabling the ordinance and directed city staff to prepare the $12.50 excise proposal and a matching wheel-tax schedule for return to the council.

The council will revisit the proposal at a future meeting; no final rate or schedule was adopted July 13. The motion to table included explicit direction to staff to prepare the flat-fee language and related schedule so the council can consider adoption ahead of the stated grant deadline.