Monroe City Council Places Parks & Public Safety Property Tax Levy on November Ballot
July 24, 2024
CONTACT: Deborah Knight, City Administrator, 360-863-4500 (Office) 360-913-0875 (Cell), dknight@monroewa.gov
MONROE, Wash. – At its July 23 meeting, the Monroe City Council unanimously approved Resolution 2024-015, placing Proposition 1, Parks & Public Safety Levy Lid Lift, on the ballot in the November general election. If approved by a simple majority of Monroe voters, Proposition 1 would allow the City to set its levy rate to $1.08 per $1,000 of assessed value (AV), providing permanent funding to invest in parks maintenance and public safety services.
More specifically, the property tax rate would be approximately an additional $0.22 per $1,000 AV providing a little more than $1 million annually to address a longstanding deficiency in parks maintenance staff levels and to convert a temporarily funded Community Services Officer (CSO) position to permanent status and to hire one public safety position in the Police Department. The additional property tax cost to a Monroe homeowner is approximately $10.84/month.
Monroe residents have repeatedly expressed support for the City’s parks, sports fields, special events, and public safety services. City Administrator Deborah Knight explained that Monroe’s growth in recent years has resulted in greater demands for parks maintenance and public safety services. “There has been a 29% increase in parkland, a 44% increase in field reservations, and a 400% increase in city-permitted events held in city parks,” Knight noted. “Parks staff levels were reduced in 2008 as a result of the recession and have not been restored.”
Knight also explained that “The City is committed to being proactive in responding to animal control, nuisance, and parking enforcement complaints and there is increased demand from the community for these public safety services.” Currently, the Police Department is supported by two CSO positions - one position is permanently funded; the other is funded through the end of 2024.
Monroe’s current levy tax rate is $0.86/$1,000 which has decreased in the past decade from $1.46/$1,000 AV due to the increase in property values. Property taxes are the primary source of revenue that support essential services such as parks maintenance and public safety programs. Sales taxes, which also support city operations, have been flat and are expected to decline in the next two years. Additionally, operating costs have increased more than 25% due to inflation and available revenue sources, especially property taxes, are not keeping pace.
Washington state law limits the amount of property tax the City can collect to a one percent increase per year, unless an increase (“lid lift”) is approved by a simple majority (50% plus one) of voters to an amount equal to or less than the maximum statutory tax rate ($1.60/$1,000 AV).
Pro/Con Committee Members Needed
Persons interested in serving on the Pro and Con Committees for Monroe’s Proposition 1 are asked to contact the City Clerk’s Office by Monday, Aug. 5 at 4 p.m. by calling 360-794-7400 or emailing cityclerk@monroewa.gov.
For more about Monroe’s Proposition 1: Parks & Public Safety Services Levy, go to MonroeWA.gov/1230/Proposition-1.