Edmonds council advances $14.5 million levy-lid lift to voters after contentious public hearing

Edmonds City Council voted 5–2 on July 1 to advance a resolution placing a proposed $14.5 million levy-lid lift before voters this fall, after a public hearing that drew more than a dozen speakers for and against the measure.

The levy proposal would permanently increase the city’s regular property-tax levy by an amount the resolution caps at $1.65 per $1,000 of assessed value and would allow the levy to grow with the consumer price index for five years after 2026. Mayor Mary Rosen introduced the proposal during a May–June budget update and told the council, “The levy lift number is 14,500,000,” saying the increase is intended to replenish reserves, repay an internal loan and restore services cut during the city’s fiscal emergency.

Why it matters: Council members and dozens of residents framed the question as a trade-off: raise recurring local revenue to restore public safety, park maintenance and street repairs, or accept continued service reductions. Supporters argued the levy gives the city a multi-year runway to address deferred maintenance and restore basic services; opponents said the amount is too large, warned of disproportionate impacts on homeowners and elderly residents, and asked for clearer line-item budgeting.

Details and council changes: Council President Tibbitt and Mayor Rosen presented a staff slide deck showing that the city’s expense growth has…