Chelan County Strikes Down Local Income Taxes

Chelan County commissioners are banning local income taxes in response to legislation that permits local income tax with the caveat that other local taxes would be reduced by an equal amount. Chelan County is among five counties, including Grant County, to ban the local income tax.

"We, as county commissioners, are in stark opposition to an income tax opposed upon our businesses and citizens," said Commissioner Kevin Overbay. "The biggest reason for us is this basically would take a huge hit to our citizens as well as to our businesses. We are about encouraging business opportunities, economic growth, family wage jobs. In the long run, we see this as detrimental to our economic growth."

Moses Lake is among 12 cities that also imposed a similar ban.