Council approves immediate 0.33% EMS sales tax and sends up to 1% ballot measure to voters
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Summary
After hours of debate, the council approved a dual approach: implement a 0.33% emergency‑services sales and use tax immediately and place language on the November ballot allowing voters to authorize up to 1% (with the council’s intent to reduce the city's portion of property tax by 50% if approved). The initial 1% ballot resolution and the 0.33% implementation passed on split votes.
The council spent the longest portion of its meeting debating how to fund growing emergency‑service needs — particularly fire and ambulance/EMS — and how to balance those needs against the council’s desire to reduce property‑tax burdens. City manager Jeremy Redd presented a staff recommendation and background showing that public‑safety spending already consumes a large share of the general fund.
Two distinct but related actions were on the table: (1) a proposed ballot question asking voters in November whether to approve up to a 1% emergency services sales and use tax to fund fire protection and EMS, coupled with the council’s stated intent to reduce the city's property‑tax portion by about 50% if voters approve the sales tax; and (2) a separate council resolution to implement a 0.33% emergency‑services sales and use tax immediately to shore up near‑term needs.
Council split along several lines. Supporters said the 0.33% would address immediate hiring and station needs and that a ballot test for up to 1% gives voters a choice while offering residents a net tax benefit if the property‑tax reduction were enacted. Opponents wanted more time to review the budget and advocated prioritizing internal cuts, or to let voters decide without the council implementing any immediate sales‑tax increase.
Procedural outcome: after an initial motion to send a 1% ballot item failed on a 2–3 vote, council members later ran the ballot item (6A) and the immediate 0.33% implementation (6C) concurrently and approved both measures on a 3–2 vote. The council adopted ballot language that would ask voters to authorize a 1% emergency services sales and use tax; the council also approved implementing a 0.33% EMS sales and use tax now. Councilmembers asked staff to prepare public outreach and specific budget scenarios for varying sales‑tax levels before November.
Direct quotes: "We're running out of track," City Manager Jeremy Redd warned, describing the budget shortfall. Councilmember Coates argued for immediate action: "I think we need 0.33 now; after that let the voters decide on the remainder." Several council members said they wanted more in‑depth budget workshops before supporting anything beyond the 0.33%.
Next steps: staff will prepare outreach materials and modeled budget scenarios showing the impacts of 0.33%, 0.66% and 1.0% options and detail how a 50% reduction in the city's portion of property tax would be implemented if voters approve the sales‑tax measure.
