Council staff outline public-safety, homelessness and economic-development ballot options; July 22 polling to guide choices

City staff presented four draft ballot proposals on July 15 and told the council that they will return July 22 with commissioned polling and recommended language before asking council to decide what to place on the November ballot.

Caitlin and budget staff framed four categories tested in polling: a public‑safety tax increase, an affordable housing and homeless solutions tax increase, a combined public‑safety/homelessness package, and an economic‑development measure.

Public safety: staff modeled a program of police, fire and emergency‑management investments that would use roughly $13.6 million in annual funding in the full programming shown. That stack included nine firefighters to reduce mandatory overtime and raise the staffing relief factor, several fire administration and prevention positions, a six‑person peak‑demand (alternative response) unit, police support positions (records, body‑worn camera technicians), four Real‑Time…