City manager warns rising public‑safety costs will strain Mountlake Terrace budget

Mountlake Terrace’s public‑safety budget is a growing share of the city’s general fund and is likely to rise further in coming years, City Manager Jeff Knighton told the council on Sept. 18, citing rising salaries, contract costs for prosecution and public defense, jail housing fees and other indirect expenses.

“Public safety is one of the fastest‑rising costs we have,” Knighton said. He told the council that public safety accounted for roughly $9 million in expenditures in 2024 and represented about 42.7 percent of the city’s general fund in his memo. The general fund total cited in the memo was slightly over $21 million for 2025.

Knighton flagged several drivers of the increases: salaries and benefits for sworn officers and civilian police staff; growing workload for public‑records and body‑camera redaction; indirect costs such as fleet replacement and insurance; and contract costs for prosecution and public defense. He said the city’s current contract prosecutor costs $150,000 a year but that next‑year contracts will likely exceed $200,000 amid regional salary increases. Public defense spending rose from about $18,000 per month in 2024 to $26,500 per month in 2025, and the manager said future contracts could reach $35,000–$40,000 per month because of new caseload standards.

Knighton also highlighted jail‑bed costs, noting nightly housing rates at regional facilities that the city uses are roughly $200 per inmate per night and that those rates are increasing. He said calls for 9‑1‑1 services and SNOCOM fees are rising as well. “All those costs together, in 2024, totaled a little over $9 million and it’s only going to continue to rise,” he said.

Council members asked how the city could respond. Council member Sanmore expressed concern about rising public safety costs eating into the rest of the general fund and suggested caution about new contracts or projects that could divert operating funds. Council member Erin Murray urged staff to bring comparisons to prior years and to continue seeking efficiencies through technology and regional coordination. Murray also recommended examining early‑intervention and prevention strategies—human services, youth programs and partnerships with schools—to reduce long‑term demand on the criminal‑justice system.

Knighton said the city has already begun exploring efficiency options, including an online payment system for traffic infractions intended to reduce court filing fees, and plans to issue requests for proposals for prosecutor and public defender services when current contracts expire at year end. He also noted the police department is operating with fewer sworn officers than in 2010—28 now versus 32 in 2010—and with fewer supervisory and records positions, which tightens capacity while demand has grown.

Council discussion ranged from short‑term operational steps—improving ticket collection and trimming indirect costs—to longer‑term regional or preventive strategies, including working with South County partners on shared services and diversion programs. Knighton and council members said the city’s financial sustainability task force will also review operations and recommend efficiencies.

No formal action was taken at the Sept. 18 meeting; staff said they will return with follow‑up data and cost comparisons for further council review.