Mayor Dana Ralph said in a weekly update that the Kent City Council voted unanimously to authorize her and city staff to prepare a proposal to use a one‑tenth of 1 percent local sales tax dedicated to public safety and that the city received a $100,000 grant to continue its CLIP community immersion law enforcement program.

The sales tax under consideration equals one‑tenth of 1 percent (about one penny on $10), which the mayor said could fund roughly 10 police officers if implemented. Ralph told viewers she had earlier requested three‑tenths of 1 percent to reach average staffing levels, but the state legislature provided only the smaller option: “the tool that they provided is that 1 tenth,” she said. Ralph added, “something is better than nothing.”

Ralph described the council action as a resolution giving her and city staff permission to develop a formal proposal; she said the proposal will be brought to the council over the next several months for consideration. The council’s vote, as reported by the mayor, was unanimous. No final tax increase or ordinance has been adopted yet.

On policing innovation, Ralph said the U.S. Conference of Mayors chose Kent as the medium‑sized city awardee for its CLIP program and that Target Corporation provided a $100,000 grant to continue the initiative. “First city in the state and possibly in the country to have this type of program,” Ralph said, describing CLIP as an eight‑week community immersion program that places recruits with partners such as Vine Maple Place, the YMCA and World Relief before they attend the police academy.

Ralph said the CLIP grant and the sales‑tax proposal are separate developments aimed at improving public safety: the grant supports training and community engagement while the proposed tax increase would expand sworn staffing. She said she will update the public as staff work on the proposal and return it to council for action.

Other items mentioned in the mayor’s update included volunteer maintenance at the Green River Natural Resources Area and summer events in Kent; those remarks were announcements rather than formal council actions.