[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written and submitted by a verified resident. It represents the opinion of the author, and does not necessarily reflect the views of South King Media or its staff. We are making an exception to our standard policy on election-related letters due to a misunderstanding of the cut-off date.]
Why You SHOULD Vote YES on Burien’s Public Safety Levy
Public safety isn’t a luxury. It’s a basic expectation for every community that cares about its people. Burien deserves safe streets, quick emergency response, and compassionate crisis support. That’s exactly what the Public Safety Levy delivers and why voting YES on Proposition 1 is both practical and necessary.
Let’s set the record straight: this is not a blank check. City staff have already presented, multiple times, exactly what this levy funds: police staffing, co-response teams, safer sidewalks, upgraded lighting, and incremental public safety improvements that make a real difference. These presentations were public and included members of both the “Yes” and “No” committees. Because they are part of the public record, the information is there for anyone who wants it. There’s nothing hidden here. The process has been fully transparent, and the benefits are clear for all to see.
A key component of the levy is adding two police officers per year for the next five years, ensuring our city finally reaches staffing levels that match Burien’s size and needs. At the same time, it preserves and expands the co-response program, pairing law enforcement with mental health professionals to respond more effectively to behavioral health, homelessness, and public drug use. Expanding this program to 24/7 coverage means the right help is available at the right time, day or night.
As someone who moved to Burien only a few years ago, I can see the difference these programs have made. The city feels safer, calmer, and more connected. This model works, and expanding it makes sense.
At the October 20 City Council meeting, the city discussed updates to its Comprehensive Safety Action Plan and capital priorities like new sidewalks and better lighting. These are visible, long-term investments that benefit everyone in Burien.
We wouldn’t be asking voters to approve this levy if it weren’t truly needed. Burien faces a $2.5 million deficit, rising costs, and the loss of federal co-response funding. Without this levy, we risk slower response times, fewer staff, and losing programs that keep people safe. Doing nothing isn’t saving money; it’s setting our city back. Doing nothing will cost us far more in the long run and set us back.
Voting YES on Proposition 1 protects what’s working, strengthens what’s needed, and ensures Burien continues moving forward safely, responsibly, and with proven results.
Learn more at YesForBurienPublicSafety.com
— Jamie Jo Skeen
Burien Resident
On behalf of the Yes for Pro Safety Levy.
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And another source on why we should not: Voters will decide on Nov. 4th whether or not to reject the City of Burien’s Proposition 1 (Levy Lid for Public Safety.) The city has plenty of money for public safety. What it does not have plenty of money for is the continuation of social services that were brought in during the Pandemic and paid for by the federal government. Those federal funds have run out.
But the city staff, city manager, and some of the city council want to keep those programs going. These programs were not effective during COVID, and they continue to be ineffective now. Governments rarely choose to shrink voluntarily, and this is a local example of the ever-expanding government mentality.
This levy is a shell game. In politics, a “shell game” means a deception or evasive action. The city staff know the taxpayers are unlikely in these difficult times to fund a levy for increased social services. But public safety is normally a winner. Most people respond with a yes when asked to support policing and safe streets.
So the city strategy is to raise the money through a levy for public safety, and then the city can afford to keep its social services by moving the fungible (replaceable) monies.
If this levy is rejected, it won’t cut police, but it will bring about a cut in the temporary COVID-related services they have been using. At City Council meetings, the city manager has repeated over and over again that without these levy funds, they will have to make substantial cuts to the city staff, specifically those who came in under the federally funded COVID programs. This emotional manipulation is dishonest.
Vote NO on the levy. The city’s number one responsibility is public safety. In fact, it is one of the few things that the state constitution requires them to do. What is left over can be used for the social services, which would then return to what they were prior to the pandemic.. Those programs had questionable outcomes then and likely will continue to have questionable outcomes now. There’s no reason for the Burien taxpayer to carry this burden.
I keep hearing that Burien’s Public Safety Levy is “necessary” because our police are “underfunded.” That claim simply isn’t true. Nearly half of Burien’s entire general fund, about 46 cents of every dollar already goes to police services. No other department even comes close. They are not underfunded.
I believe in public safety, but we can’t solve Burien’s problems by hiring more police. Issues like homelessness, addiction, and mental health need real solutions, not just more arrests.
If policing alone could fix things, our problems would already be solved. We need balance and smarter investment, not another tax for more of the same.
Thank you for the excellent explanation. Being someone who fell on one of the uneven sidewalks, this is important. More police officers is also a necessity for all residents.
“Let’s set the record straight: this is not a blank check. City staff have already presented, multiple times, exactly what this levy funds: police staffing, co-response teams, safer sidewalks, upgraded lighting, and incremental public safety improvements that make a real difference.”
Let’s set the record straight, then. The Levy price tag was set long before any presentations on what the levy was going to fund. In fact, long before any presentations were created…in July! Why are we only now seeing any presentations? Because the current city council is creating proposals to fit the cost they had already decided on.
This IS a blank check!
I support public safety but NOT at any cost. Burien homeowners already pay a median effective property tax rate of about 1.10%, which is HIGHER than Seattle (≈ 0.85%) AND Bellevue (≈ 0.71%). THIS PROPOSED LEVY WOULD RAISE THAT BURDEN EVEN FURTHER, PUSHING BURIEN’S TAX RATE WELL ABOVE REGIONAL AVERAGES.
Most nearby cities manage to fund public safety and infrastructure without taxing residents at this level. Instead of adding another permanent, uncapped levy, we should be demanding a more balanced plan—one that includes oversight, measurable outcomes, and investment in long-term prevention, not just enforcement.
Burien taxpayers are already paying more than their fair share. Until there’s a more responsible approach, I’m voting **NO**.
Again I disagree with you because Burien has nothing by any method of measurement anything in common with the tax base of Seattle or Bellevue, we in fact have less Police Officers than the majority of most cities.