Lake Forest Park council debates limited, six‑year property tax levy to shore up public safety and public works

Deputy Mayor Furutani presented a proposal on May 19 for a six‑year, time‑limited property tax levy intended to slow the city’s projected erosion of its general fund balance and cover rising public safety and public works costs.

"If you do that calculation, it's a fairly straightforward calculation...it would end up, generating about 1 and a half little over 1 and a half million dollars in revenue yearly," Deputy Mayor Furutani said, outlining a sample 32¢ per $1,000 levy rate and saying the levy would be indexed to inflation after the initial increase.

Why it matters: City staff and council members said growth in 911 dispatch, jail costs, insurance, prosecutor/public defender fees, training and the cost of recruiting and retaining police officers are primary drivers of the structural gap in the general fund. The levy…