Pierce County was near the top third of the nation for how much property tax residents pay as a percentage of home value, according to a study by The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax research group based in Washington, D.C.

The study drew on new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

According to the full report, Pierce County ranked 196 out of more than 1,800 counties nationwide (just outside the top 5 percent) for median property taxes paid on homes.

The county ranked 628th (in the top 35 percent) for taxes as a percent of home value and 256th (in the top 15 percent) for taxes as a percent of median income, the study found.

The raw numbers are:

Median property tax paid on homes: $2,564
Median home value: $248,900
Tax as percent of home value: 1 percent
Median homeowner income: $69,515
Tax as percent of income: 3.7 percent

Coming in at No. 1 was Westchester County, New York, where the median tax was $7,908.

Orleans County, New York ranked No. 1 for tax as a percent of home value with 3.05 percent.

Vernon Parish, Louisiana was the lowest, with a median tax of just $115.

Barack Obama's Presidential Inaugural Committee is releasing the names of donors to the event. Here's how the committee explained the move in a press release from last week:

Today, in keeping with President-elect Obama's commitment to changing the way business is done in Washington, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced unprecedented standards of transparency in the public reporting of donors to a presidential inaugural committee.

For the first time, an inaugural committee's donor disclosure efforts will include a searchable, sortable, virtually real-time database of donors, available on the PIC website. Any citizen will be able to search for and sort donors who give more than $200 by name, employer, or hometown (city, state and zip code). Information on donors and donations will be updated regularly, with information on each new donation over $200 appearing online within 48 hours of its receipt.

The Federal Elections Commission would require disclosure of those names within 90 days.

Among other changes, the committee is limiting donations to $50,000 and not accepting donations from political action committees, labor unions, non-U.S. citizens and registered foreign agents. Currently, there is no legal limit on the amount.

Six Washington donors - including Tacoma favorite son Dale Chihuly - have given the maximum $50,000. Here's the entire list of Washington donors so far:

=> Read more!

Rep. Steve Hailey, R-Mesa, has cancer. Last Friday, we reported that Rep. Bill Grant, D-Walla Walla, discovered recently that he, too, has cancer.

This from The Associated Press"

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A Republican state representative is resigning from the Legislature to focus on his cancer treatment.
Rep. Steve Hailey, R-Mesa, plans to officially step down Jan. 11. That’s one day before the Legislature opens its new session in Olympia.
In a letter to Gov. Chris Gregoire, Hailey says he can’t fully represent his constituents while continuing to battle colon cancer. Hailey, 63, was diagnosed in January. He’s a farmer and rancher.
Hailey’s 9th District covers the state’s southeastern corner. Local Republican officials will choose three nominees to replace him, with the finalist selected by county commissioners in the district.
There are 62 Democrats in the House, and 36 Republicans.

From D.C. correspondent Les Blumenthal:

WASHINGTON - This morning's Roll Call says Rep. Norm Dicks had a snit fit last week when the cafeteria in the Longworth House Office Building ran out of wheat bread.

Roll Call's "Heard on the Hill" column said Dicks was standing in the sandwich line when he heard a cafeteria worker say there was no more wheat bread. The congressman made sure the employee knew who he was before asking for the manager.

Dicks' spokesman, George Behan, sought to dismiss the incident, saying all his boss wanted was for someone to check if there was anymore wheat bread in the back.

The congressman finally settled for pumpernickel.

But one more intriguing fact: the article also indicated Dicks has been seen around town wearing a fleece jacket that says "Mr. Chairman" on it. Dicks, of course, is chairman of the House interior appropriations subcommittee. We assume the jacket is Husky purple and gold.

Want to be Pierce County auditor? The county has officially posted the job, which is being vacated by executive-elect Pat McCarthy.

The council is expected to pick an auditor on Jan. 13. Submit your application by Jan. 5. Here's the information:

Anyone seeking to be appointed Pierce County Auditor should apply to the Pierce County Council no later than Jan. 5, 2009.

The successful applicant will fill a portion of the unexpired term of current Auditor Pat McCarthy, who takes over as County Executive in 2009. He or she would need to stand for a special election in November 2009 to complete the remainder of McCarthy's term, which ends Dec. 31, 2010.

The Auditor's Office conducts elections for all taxing districts and performs recording, licensing, and other services such as animal control.

The application form is available at www.piercecountywa.gov/council.

CONTACTS: Council Chair Terry Lee, 253-798-6654; or Susan Long, Administrator for Legal and Operations, 253-798-6068