[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6173797,"mediaKeyId","5377989-18c244e45b6494ee2aae1ed995045cbb","parentId",5377989,"title","Lake Forest Park council approves 24¢ levy lid lift on Nov. 4 ballot after debate and amendment capping annual CPI increases at 5%","audioSeconds",4685,"startMs",2560000,"endMs",7245000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5377989-18c244e45b6494ee2aae1ed995045cbb&start=2560&end=7245","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5377989-18c244e45b6494ee2aae1ed995045cbb/thumbnail_2560000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6173797/Lake-Forest-Park/King-County/Washington/Lake-Forest-Park-council-approves-24-levy-lid-lift-on-Nov-4-ballot-after-debate-and-amendment-capping-annual-CPI-increases-at-5","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6173797-01a296f9af4dce3bb68050a103316462/orig.mp4?Expires=1770410332&Signature=nihK0ucX5nnTLYkGHgfNDVB6wOuzRZiLFvpxXXctJ0rjN6qooOvEmeic-b6OVB~WMobFFfDLSL1wffycLamLhgOr3MX2G00pBh4CZnDzAZ-FCOx48rjFo6F4mY4rOWmTXRrID1wBwCwJ54Yyzsro03-saiJUJqBEm6dWPKKm7ZMssPD8U1FvnJ2EZ4~uSWO~aPEDG5R4-0Mgm2C9p~uK61bGan7IITJPezIiXk1ZtllMy-XEPCs0VHuxoOUCCVZbUoXcam-VkxA76vRMlIxmRuWm5l-~8OVubvkRTkNbLB-OOJKdIMJjf4f8GYB1ow7Z~Hzc2sPGFBLo6rhE8Paw1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Lake Forest Park, WA","date","2025-07-13T00:20:01.043Z","article","The Lake Forest Park City Council voted to place a temporary property-tax levy lid lift on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot, authorizing an additional 24 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation beginning with collection in 2026 and limited so future annual increases tied to the CPI-U will not exceed 5 percent. The council approved the measure after lengthy discussion of the city’s general fund, staffing and public-safety costs; a roll-call was taken and the motion was recorded in the meeting transcript as passing.

City Administrator Hill told the council that, without voter approval, the city may raise revenues by only 1 percent annually under state law: \"without a vote of approval by LFP residents, you are limited as a council to a 1% increase in your revenues,\" she said. Hill outlined a series of cost pressures cited by the administration — a $284,000 annual increase for 9-1-1 dispatch after the prior provider withdrew, rising jail costs, and higher insurance premiums — and said public safety accounts for about 34 percent of the city’s budget.

The measure as drafted would authorize a temporary levy lid lift of 24 cents per $1,000 and, if approved by voters, would set a new levy rate for the city beginning in 2026. During deliberations council members and staff used modeling spreadsheets to show how different levy amounts and start years would affect the city’s cumulative general fund balance through the end of the levy period. Hill said the city’s general fund balance was \"about 9,000,000\" and that a 24-cent rate would increase the cumulative balance over the six-year span relative to lower rates; she also explained the county-driven mechanics by which assessed-value growth changes the levy rate the county calculates.

Councilmembers debated how large an unallocated general fund balance the city should maintain. Several council members and the administrator stressed that some other funds—traffic, sewer, and certain restricted grant or capital funds—cannot legally be used to solve general-fund shortfalls. Council discussion repeatedly returned to the council-adopted 16 percent reserve policy (the administration said the 16% reserve equated to roughly $2,405,000 in the city’s current numbers) and to whether a larger cushion was prudent given uncertain state and federal grant availability and rising public-safety costs.

Public comment at the meeting included several residents who urged caution and more analysis and others who supported a levy. Jeff Sneddon urged the council not to pick a levy amount without giving every councilmember access to shared decision tools that model levy scenarios. Bryce James, a financial analyst, asked the council to model base-, best- and worst-case scenarios using the general fund policy as a starting point and recommended a revived citizen budget committee. Nate Herzog said a middle-ground increase of 10–12 percent (of the levy lid) would be reasonable for his family; Ken Casover and David Pyle spoke in favor of funding public-safety services. Alan Kiest urged transparency about funds that residents already pay to fire, library and surface-water districts and urged council to use existing council contingency and strategic opportunity funds before asking voters for a permanent increase.

Councilmember Lebo moved an amendment to cap any future annual levy increases tied to the June-to-June Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue CPI-U at 5 percent; the amendment was seconded and adopted. The council then moved and seconded the resolution placing the 24-cent levy on the ballot; a roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript. The clerk called the roll; each councilmember’s individual recorded response appears in the minutes. The meeting transcript also records the chair announcing that \"I believe the motion passed, 4 to 3,\" and the clerk’s roll-call statements as captured in the audio text; the transcript contains an internal inconsistency between the spoken roll-call answers and the chair’s subsequent statement of the margin. The council recorded that the measure would appear on the Nov. 4, 2025 general-election ballot with the explanatory statement to be finalized by the city attorney’s office.

Action required: the council adopted resolution 25-2021 (as amended) providing for the levy lid lift ballot proposition. The resolution sets the levy rate, duration, the ballot language and the administrative steps to transmit the proposition to King County for the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot. City Attorney Pratt and the clerk will finalize the 75-word ballot-title language and related explanatory materials for the county filing.

Why it matters: Council members said the levy would provide ongoing revenue to stabilize operations, preserve public-safety staffing and cover durable costs that the administration maintains cannot be absorbed under the state’s 1 percent property-tax limitation. Opponents and some councilmembers urged caution over the levy size and preferred drawing down unallocated one-time funds or pursuing alternative revenue (for example sales-tax options) before asking voters for a multi-year commitment.

At this meeting the council did not finalize implementation steps beyond approving the ballot measure; if voters approve the measure in November, future councils would annually decide whether to accept the consumer-price adjustment up to the cap adopted by the council.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","July 10, 2025 City Council Regular Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Lake Forest Park City Council voted to place a temporary 24¢ per $1,000 property-tax levy lid lift on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot to fund police and public-safety services and adopted an amendment limiting future annual CPI-U increases to 5%.","taxTitle","Lake Forest Park, King County, Washington","taxId",71686,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6173783,"Council unanimously confirms Linda Holman to Parks and Recreation Advisory Board",214,2292000,2506000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5377989-18c244e45b6494ee2aae1ed995045cbb&start=2292&end=2506","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5377989-18c244e45b6494ee2aae1ed995045cbb/thumbnail_2292000.jpg","/articles/6173783/Lake-Forest-Park/King-County/Washington/Council-unanimously-confirms-Linda-Holman-to-Parks-and-Recreation-Advisory-Board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6173783-12f300a106e2800184db5d208c63842b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770410331&Signature=XNtLfURVSTvPtc45NU3-BWY1Mxb7Cpn3rQEKXiIo0mncJfTyGys3FartV6cpU5yE0FHK-AbwOyzGlewL1IzlkEviK-0jT4dyPz1d5ocWwwUAexjlIzVkm20V2~zV9Fm6zbMtOlLR8ldMq6v5~sGJVOFXzUas8yCcnAaV6lkjWDEMth92L4Ie4FDJ-ibsorvCr7D~QGRD52iOEff9XvJhlCRTKWJ~SQ8FCOVUFat80dIxv4n3yRCATCdU4Vf1zGyXkU0rUiNb6suqi6Z6cjJIkAOVeEsQJ9TmN8k46Rh9Qn8EnKtwqHmI5hKLdQBjdqh~wzCgjLfkN3uaNvH1ZoyGGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lake Forest Park City Council unanimously confirmed Linda Holman for a seat on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board during its July 10 meeting.

Councilmembers thanked Holman for decades of volunteer service in Lake Forest Park. Holman told the council she has lived in the city for 41 years and has served on previous park and community-service boards; she said she plans to focus on projects including the demonstration garden and stewardship work at Blue Heron Park.

A motion for final confirmation was made, seconded and the council voted in favor. The clerk recorded the motion as passing unanimously. No additional action was required.

","The Lake Forest Park City Council gave final confirmation to Linda Holman for appointment to the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board; council praised her decades of volunteer service and volunteer leadership on local demonstration gardens and park projects.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6173787,"Resident complains to council about Republic Services collection errors and overage fees",218,841000,1059000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5377989-18c244e45b6494ee2aae1ed995045cbb&start=841&end=1059","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5377989-18c244e45b6494ee2aae1ed995045cbb/thumbnail_841000.jpg","/articles/6173787/Lake-Forest-Park/King-County/Washington/Resident-complains-to-council-about-Republic-Services-collection-errors-and-overage-fees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6173787-2dec5712c3a045a3a3fd251c851420a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770410331&Signature=GbStWDvyT5e-Rhh05q2P-dKqNA~fwslWTWhsl6GvRJ-gOGAyF1zIVYL31SUxnKhDJOX9vmtPTefONeHf4UFwmwddxHi4Lhd3O5pcbE-or60ztI0R8rqmKZMPNy-zhoMShXIlXWnAMdpNqBxMyw08WpcWmFnn98jBf9H~hSY-PlftNNStumvMtxKnBTwY6Zv4fPZE8xbraOHlsl0a0aduYEqKqA6rCBp1FuV9h9K-3fMy4W3M15TtesD8vxuw6cSRGUcJiW78NB5pPov1VWTt1a1eDKuJTdDAFouIN0OW7OZRdQpG2OWC18kxhy2X~XknMIi2dKeFMWZ-ZP-ktGTb~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the July 10 Lake Forest Park City Council meeting, resident David Pyle raised problems with curbside collection under the city’s contract with Republic Services, saying missed pickups, inconsistent placement of containers and disputed overage fees have created ongoing service and billing problems in his neighborhood.

Pyle said crews had moved bins closer together and then refused to collect containers that were repositioned, and that customers had been charged overage fees he said were not appropriate for small differences such as a three-inch lid tilt caused by a cat box. \"They are charging overage fees when they shouldn't be charging overage fees,\" Pyle said. He described long hold times when he calls Republic Services and said he had not been able to obtain effective corrections. City staff said they would follow up and asked the resident to provide specifics for investigation.

In his public comment, Pyle thanked Republic Services representatives who are courteous when reached, but said operational problems and billing disputes have persisted and that he wanted the city to investigate whether contractual requirements are being met and whether customer-credit adjustments are warranted.

Action requested/next steps: Councilmembers asked staff to follow up with resident filings and to review performance under the Republic Services contract. The council did not take formal action on the contract at the meeting.

","A Lake Forest Park resident described missed and inconsistent trash pickups, overage charges and difficulty reaching customer service under the city's Republic Services contract and asked the council to investigate.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6173792,"King County Library System presents usage growth, programs and \"freedom to read\" outreach to Lake Forest Park council",649,1495000,2144000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5377989-18c244e45b6494ee2aae1ed995045cbb&start=1495&end=2144","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5377989-18c244e45b6494ee2aae1ed995045cbb/thumbnail_1495000.jpg","/articles/6173792/Lake-Forest-Park/King-County/Washington/King-County-Library-System-presents-usage-growth-programs-and-freedom-to-read-outreach-to-Lake-Forest-Park-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6173792-c2cbe41d2df34ba3e8b69892feebe53a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770410331&Signature=Lc7OaSsqfnyc-x1xjU8Mws0X-0fsrKq4PCpWJjmFHKUR-Mcp5JUTutnGJlFQb7XpwhOCiBFO~CmpUTdRQuOBTY8IvCcywWH4y1a8jC8ahA~FNE9KVn~B664Qavh~zAW2tTZDkfEuTe1Hcgy5xx6fVHdRkLwAnkwnk4mDVbUb0~1MguDonph0TsggjejY8dyKWG4omJk2BHBPdCndbkaaNy91DybmJpbAp-2FQZuou8CujkU5uxV~aelxn8jlbZ5T8uDMO2VbrDgXW8o4wjCNkunOFQipVh8Z8u-f9yVGCovFohxzMk88NAg1vfgv8ij3QVpnaWcZPVlBtFca61jkCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives from the King County Library System and the Lake Forest Park Library Advisory Committee presented usage data, programs and historical background to the Lake Forest Park City Council on July 10, 2025.

Alice Darnton, regional manager for the King County Library System (KCLS), said KCLS operates 50 branches and that Lake Forest Park’s branch is in the Alder region; she noted that, \"since the pandemic, use of the Lake Forest Park Library continues to go up,\" and presented year‑over‑year increases in foot traffic, active accounts and checkouts. Darnton said the system’s \"Curiosity Isn't Quiet\" campaign is intended to reinforce the library as an interactive civic space.

Katie Boyce, Lake Forest Park’s librarian and information‑services manager, summarized in‑person and digital resources available with a library card (examples: Consumer Reports Online, The New York Times access, language-learning tools and streaming services through Hoopla). She described regular programs: weekly story time, teen leadership council activities and adult programs such as the \"Wisdom Café\" for older adults. Boyce invited residents to the summer-reading program and noted a new Book Bingo partnership with Seattle Public Library.

Lollie Smith and Eloise Boyle, members of the Lake Forest Park Library Advisory Committee, reviewed the library’s local history: the first library opened in June 1965, moved locations as the community grew, and in 2012 King County voters approved a bond that funded an expanded facility that opened in January 2012. The advisory committee curates summer-read programming, conducts community outreach at the Lake Forest Park Market and acts as a liaison among KCLS, the city and residents.

The presenters emphasized intellectual freedom as a core library value. Darnton said KCLS defines intellectual freedom as \"the right of everyone to seek out information, ideas, and expressive content of any kind within the law,\" and announced plans to mark October as a month to celebrate the freedom to read; the presenters asked for time on upcoming council agendas in August or September for more discussion.

Councilmembers thanked the presenters and asked about facility needs and interactive children’s spaces; Darnton said KCLS’s new library director is prioritizing more interactive children’s areas and that parents and families would welcome such changes.

No action was required by the council at this presentation. The update is informational and intended to help the council and residents understand library use, programs, regional support and upcoming outreach on intellectual freedom.

","King County Library System managers and the Lake Forest Park Library Advisory Committee updated the council on rising library usage, upcoming programs, regional operations and an October campaign to celebrate intellectual freedom.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lake Forest Park council approves 24¢ levy lid lift on Nov. 4 ballot after debate and amendment capping annual CPI increases at 5%

Council unanimously confirms Linda Holman to Parks and Recreation Advisory Board

Resident complains to council about Republic Services collection errors and overage fees

King County Library System presents usage growth, programs and "freedom to read" outreach to Lake Forest Park council