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Staff outlines fees, levies and bonds as tools; $20/month public-safety fee estimated to raise ~$2M
Summary
City staff presented a toolkit of funding options and estimated a $20-per-month public-safety fee could generate roughly $2 million per year; council asked staff to cost out priority packages and suggested starting with fees to stabilize services before considering voter measures.
Staff reviewed commonly used municipal funding tools—fees and charges, renewing levies, bonds, utility fees, and grants—and urged a balanced approach that uses the tool best suited for each need. The consultant and staff stressed that narrowly focused asks tend to perform better with voters than broad omnibus measures.
One staff member provided a numerical example to illustrate scale: "About $2,000,000 a year. $20 a month public safety fee," a figure staff said could materially stabilize police and parks services if council chose that route. Councilors and staff discussed sequencing: using fees or renewing levies first to shore up operations, then pursuing bond measures or urban renewal financing for larger capital projects.
Staff committed to returning a draft plan that attaches likely funding sources—fees, levies, bonds, urban renewal—to the council’s prioritized items and shows likely timelines and sequencing so councilors can decide what to test with the public.
