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Lake Forest Park council reviews draft levy to maintain public safety services; seeks clearer ballot language
Summary
Budget Chair Councilmember Riddle presented a draft levy lid‑lift resolution to maintain police, 911 dispatch, jail and mental‑health diversion services; councilmembers asked staff and counsel to clarify ballot language to avoid perceptions of fungibility and to explain which costs are outside city control.
Budget Chair Councilmember Riddle reviewed a draft levy‑lid lift resolution intended for the November general election that would raise revenue to maintain public safety services.
"We do mention some specific items that would be covered...police staffing, training and equipment, 911 dispatch, emergency management services, jail services, prosecution and public defense costs," Riddle said, pointing councilmembers to the resolution text.
Several councilmembers raised concerns that past levies had prompted voter confusion over fungibility — residents feared money would be spent elsewhere despite ballot language — and urged clearer explanatory language to make it explicit that the measure is intended to maintain current service levels rather than expand them. One councilmember suggested adding phrasing that revenue "shall be used to maintain service levels for public safety services, including, but not limited to..." and to run proposed language by the city attorney.
Councilmembers also noted that several listed costs (jail contracts, prosecution and public defense) are largely outside direct city control and that increases in those categories have driven the structural gap the levy seeks to cover. Members discussed CPI indexing language and whether to place a cap; staff advised legal and administrative limits on placing a cap in the ballot resolution, and recommended keeping the text simple to avoid voter confusion.
Council consensus favored in‑house outreach (not hiring consultants) and clearer public communications explaining why the levy is needed and which costs are contractual or mandated. City staff and legal counsel will review suggested language and communications before returning the draft for further council review.
Next steps: staff to consult the city attorney on ballot language and CPI indexing questions and to prepare communications explaining levy purposes and constrained areas of cost increase.
