Lake Forest Park officials outline budget squeeze, urge public input on priorities

A staff presenter at a recent City of Lake Forest Park council meeting warned that current service levels are unsustainable without new revenue or painful cuts, pointing to rising costs for public safety, insurance and dispatch and the city—s small share of property-tax revenue.

The presenter summarized the city as "barely 3.5 square miles of land" with about 13,600 residents and listed core services including a local police department, local courts, public works, environmental protections and sewer operations. The presenter said the city receives roughly 7.7 percent of property-tax dollars collected in the area, which the presenter described as "an historic low." The presenter added that the city made $455,000 in cuts last year but said that approach is unsustainable.

The budget overview put a spotlight on expense pressures. The presenter cited roughly a 24 percent inflation increase over four years and singled out major cost increases: insurance up about $193,000, jail costs up about $197,000, and 9-1-1 dispatch costs up about $284,000. The presenter also said the city—s optional 1 percent revenue increase would yield roughly $34,000, and a hypothetical 3 percent cap discussed in Olympia would add only about $60,000—far less than the gap described.

Those numbers mattered in the meeting because they frame choices for policing, parks and social services. "We have an outstanding police department... They—ve been operating on a shoestring budget," the presenter said, adding that regional growth has increased cut-through traffic and retail crime. The presenter reiterated that traffic safety cameras have reduced average speeds on 178 from "over 31 miles an hour to 23.2" and said revenues from those cameras are restricted by state law: "There is no revenue grab... it is a total red herring. It is not true. State law restricts the use of these fines."

Staff identified community priorities from a November 2024 survey: a strong police department, well-maintained parks and trails, safer sidewalks near schools and hiring a grant writer to stretch tax dollars. The presenter said the city has used grants to acquire parkland in recent years (including a 2.1-acre Rose property contiguous with the city—s 5 Acre Woods) and thanked King County and neighboring Kenmore for regional partnerships.

The presenter urged community engagement as the next step. "Our resident input is absolutely critical to shaping future priorities," the presenter said, noting plans for continued public conversations and outreach. Councilman Goldrick asked about reaction from a Rotary presentation of the same slides: "Thanks for presenting that. I'm just curious, what sort of reactions or questions did you get when you presented this at Rotary?" the councilman asked. The presenter described the Rotary response as "well received" and said attendees asked about the amount of money that returns to the city.

The presenter also cautioned against relying on one-time revenues for ongoing operations. Staff named REET 1 and REET 2 (real-estate excise tax funds) and other restricted grant sources as important for capital projects such as land acquisition and park improvements, and said loosening restrictions on those funds would jeopardize capital programs.

No formal budget vote or directive was recorded during the presentation. Instead, council members and staff signaled plans for further budget discussions and additional outreach to the public in coming months. The presenter closed by inviting residents to contact staff with questions and by noting the council leadership and administration would continue community conversations about funding and service priorities.