City staff member urges Mount Vernon voters to consider levy to sustain police, fire and parks

An unnamed staff member told the Mount Vernon City Council meeting that the city is asking voters in November to decide whether to approve a levy to sustain core services such as police response, fire protection and park maintenance.

The staff member said Mount Vernon must pass a balanced budget each year and that inflation and population growth have pushed the city's expenses beyond its revenues. "We don't get to print money," the staff member said. "We can either increase our revenue or we can cut services." The speaker added that Mount Vernon's population has grown more than 50% in the past 25 years and now stands at about 36,000 residents.

The staff member described services funded by local taxes — police response, fire rescue and property protection, and well-maintained open space and recreation — and said those services depend on local revenue. "People are usually shocked when I tell them that the portion of funding that goes from their property tax to the city of Mount Vernon to fund our, our services ... is about 15% of my property tax payment goes to the city of Mount Vernon," the staff member said.

The speaker said the city has cut staffing to "the bare minimum essential positions" and is operating at levels that make it difficult to meet demand. The staff member framed the levy as a straightforward choice for residents: what level of service taxpayers are willing to fund. "What level of service are we, taxpayers, willing to contribute toward in order to make our city safer, to fight crime, to save lives, to enhance the quality of our lives here?" the staff member said.

The remarks in the transcript were explanatory and framed the levy as a question to be placed before voters; the transcript does not record any formal council vote or the exact ballot language. No ordinance number, resolution number, vote tally or formal council action on the levy appears in the provided transcript excerpt.