Letter to The Enterprise Editor (Posted 17 Apr 2010):
The Lake Forest Park City Council is "considering" placing a 6-year levy increase on the August ballot. One piece of the proposal they are pursuing is opting out of publishing the issue and arguments for and against in the statewide primary voters' pamphlet.
This is the same problem that arose around the Shoreline schools bond and levy measures - only even less justifiable. This is not a special election - it is part of the statewide primary election. The City has been quite comfortable attempting to make its case through a special multi-page mailing at taxpayers' expense and has been holding "community conversations" utilizing city staff for the past several months, so it is somewhat disingenuous to cite cost as the reason.
Please allow all City residents to have a full and robust presentation of the issues involved - which can best be done, given the lack of local print media coverage, through the Voters' Pamphlet.
Carolyn Armanini
Lake Forest Park
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
LFP Wants to Lift the 1% Property Tax Increase
How many other cities around us have needed to do the same? More to follow.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Share Your Thoughts
We'd like to know what your thoughts are on how LFP City government is performing. What you like, what you would change, etc....
Does The City Need to Raise Taxes?
Recent information indicates that the LFP Administration and Council were considering a 17% levy-lid-lift.
At a recent Mayor's Community Conversation get together, the Mayor led off with "This is a meeting is really about why LFP needs a levy-lid-lift."
The median home price in Lake Forest Park is approximately $275,000.
A 17% levy-lid-lift would cost the owner of a median-priced home $7.83/mo.
Later, the mayor revealed that the Council Budget Committee had decided on a levy-lid-lift of $15/mo. This would be a 35% increase!
The levy-lid-lift under consideration would be indexed to inflation and increase each year for 5 years after the first year. It is proposed to continue for 6 years.
It is not clear at all, in the information provided by the City, that the levy-lid-lift would remove the gap between revenues and expenditures permanently. The Mayor has been asked to provide a graph showing the impact of the Levy-lid-lift. He was also asked what cuts to services have been made to date and what additional cuts would have to be made if the levy-lid-lift does not pass.
The County is considering a 0.3% increase in the sales tax. The Mayor said that this would produce $450,000 in revenue for the City; this remains to be verified. If the County Council approves this measure would appear on the August ballot along with the City's levy-lid-lift.
The Mayor said that the details of the levy-lid-lift would be worked out by May so a City ballot measure could be included on the August ballot.
It appears that the Council could still increase our property taxes 1% each year in addition to the levy-lid-lift.
Recently the City raised the storm-water fee 20%, passed a $20 dollar/year vehicle registration tax, and is considering further increases in utility taxes.
From the above, you can see that many questions remain. We trust that the City will provide detailed answers and conduct any ballot measure in an open, informed manner.
At a recent Mayor's Community Conversation get together, the Mayor led off with "This is a meeting is really about why LFP needs a levy-lid-lift."
The median home price in Lake Forest Park is approximately $275,000.
A 17% levy-lid-lift would cost the owner of a median-priced home $7.83/mo.
Later, the mayor revealed that the Council Budget Committee had decided on a levy-lid-lift of $15/mo. This would be a 35% increase!
The levy-lid-lift under consideration would be indexed to inflation and increase each year for 5 years after the first year. It is proposed to continue for 6 years.
It is not clear at all, in the information provided by the City, that the levy-lid-lift would remove the gap between revenues and expenditures permanently. The Mayor has been asked to provide a graph showing the impact of the Levy-lid-lift. He was also asked what cuts to services have been made to date and what additional cuts would have to be made if the levy-lid-lift does not pass.
The County is considering a 0.3% increase in the sales tax. The Mayor said that this would produce $450,000 in revenue for the City; this remains to be verified. If the County Council approves this measure would appear on the August ballot along with the City's levy-lid-lift.
The Mayor said that the details of the levy-lid-lift would be worked out by May so a City ballot measure could be included on the August ballot.
It appears that the Council could still increase our property taxes 1% each year in addition to the levy-lid-lift.
Recently the City raised the storm-water fee 20%, passed a $20 dollar/year vehicle registration tax, and is considering further increases in utility taxes.
From the above, you can see that many questions remain. We trust that the City will provide detailed answers and conduct any ballot measure in an open, informed manner.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Citywide Community Conversation - April 19th
Mayor Hutchinson has been meeting with neighborhood groups about issues of concern to citizens. The Mayor would like to talk to block watches, community groups, and neighborhood associations about what is happening in the city.
In addition to neighborhood groups, the City will be hosting a at Third Place Commons, April 19, 2010.
To see the background materials available for these meetings, Click here
In addition to neighborhood groups, the City will be hosting a at Third Place Commons, April 19, 2010.
To see the background materials available for these meetings, Click here
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