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Bothell officials report levy-funded staffing gains and urge planning ahead of 2030 levy expiration
Summary
Finance director and the police chief told the council the Safe & Secure levy and associated bond funded added police and fire staffing, community programs and two new fire stations; the levy expires in 2030 and the council was urged to begin replacement planning.
Finance Director Quan Wong and Police Chief Ken Subrilak presented a community update on the voter-approved Safe & Secure levy and associated bond, which voters approved in November 2018 to fund enhanced staffing for police, fire, municipal court and IT plus capital improvements.
Wong said the package included a 12-year levy and a 20-year capital bond that funded the design and replacement of Fire Stations 42 and 45 and ongoing operations. He illustrated taxpayer impact using a $1 million property as an example: about $616 per year for the levy and roughly $111 per year for the bond. He noted the levy expires in 2030 and the bond in 2040 and urged the council to begin planning for any replacement measures well in advance.
Chief Subrilak outlined public-safety and operations improvements funded by the levy: 13 added police officers, a community engagement coordinator, additional detectives, a property coordinator, probation lead and other positions; a community crime-reduction team (CCRT); expanded municipal-court services including probation officers; and investments in information technology for digital evidence and incident reporting. "A busy day for us is if we have a search warrant on top of just normal duties," he said, describing how added staff helped the department execute five search warrants on a heavy day.
The presentation also described regional partnerships funded by levy dollars and city contributions, including a regional crisis-response program funded at about $500,000 per year to support behavioral-health crisis response with first responders. Council members asked about the 2016 police-safety study that informed the 2018 measure and how to evaluate whether levy-funded services are meeting expected outcomes; staff suggested updated staffing analyses and performance measures as part of future planning.
Why it matters: The levy funds core public-safety staffing and programs that city officials say have improved patrol capacity, investigative work and crisis response. With the levy expiring in four years, staff recommended starting community conversations and technical evaluations now.
What's next: Staff will provide follow-up analysis on staffing metrics and possible timelines for a replacement measure if council wishes to pursue one.
