Mount Vernon council approves placing permanent levy lid lift on November ballot

The City of Mount Vernon City Council voted July 9 to place a permanent property-tax levy lid lift on the Nov. 4, 2025, general election ballot, approving Resolution 1077.

City staff told council the city faces a structural budget gap as personnel costs and inflation outpace revenue growth and general-fund reserves have been used in prior years to balance budgets. Jennifer Berner, parks and enrichment director and the staff lead on the proposal, told council the levy would create dedicated funding to sustain parks maintenance and operations, add police and fire staffing and purchase equipment and vehicles.

Council members discussed how to allocate funds if voters approve the measure. Several members favored a split among parks, police and fire. Council member Richard said city staffing has not kept pace with growth and that the proposed package would add police positions and roughly nine additional firefighters, which staff said would increase the city’s coverage and make meeting a 4-minute response guideline more likely in more areas. Council member Mary Hudson noted the levy would be on residents’ tax bills as well and urged staff to provide clear public information.

Staff said the packet included options for a permanent or six-year (temporary) lid lift and recommended placing one of those options before voters; council voted to place the permanent version on the ballot. Council members also directed staff to prepare FAQs and outreach materials for public distribution.

If approved by voters, the resolution would reset the city’s 2026 property-tax levy rate to the maximum aggregate rate cited in the resolution (the resolution text in the packet specifies the 2026 aggregate rate). The council did not set program-level spending rules beyond the categories discussed at the meeting; staff said allocations and implementation details will be provided to the public during the ballot outreach and if the measure passes.

Council member Andrew moved to adopt the permanent resolution; Otis seconded the motion. The motion passed on a voice vote.

The council and staff emphasized that the levy is a voter decision and that the council’s action places the question before Mount Vernon voters in November.