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1. Can I get a copy of the Annual Report?

Annual Reports are available as downloadable Adobe Acrobat Reader files. Find them in the archive center.

2. Why does the Port collect taxes?

In 1911 the Legislature authorized citizens to form port districts and implement an annual property tax levy of $2 per $1,000 of assessed value of taxable property within the district.

Since 1911 the Legislature has reduced the annual property tax authorization for port districts to 45 cents per $1,000 of assessed value of taxable property within the district.

3. How much does the Port collect?

The Port tax levy for 2017 is 34.4 cents per $1,000 of assessed value of taxable property. The average Port District taxpayer pays $52 in taxes to the Port for a home valued at $150,000. The Port tax levy consists of approximately 2.2% of the total annual taxes collected by Cowlitz County.

4. What are taxes used for?

Tax levy funds are used for capital facilities improvements such as docks, warehouses, cranes and transportation infrastructure and repayment of general obligation bond debt. These improvements are designed to produce more tonnage, more ship calls and more economic activity in the Port District community, directly and indirectly benefiting taxpayers in the form of jobs and commerce.