[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.]
Public safety is important. So is transparency.
Property taxes impact us all: homeowners, businesses, landlords, and renters.
Businesses pass on their taxes to customers; landlords pass on their taxes to tenants.
So, what’s the plan?
City officials have been asked to provide their plans, including the amount of money required and data and research to support this. However, the Council approved the ballot measure without presenting a single fact, while seeking over $52 million over six years.
Since that time, the city council has been entertaining presentations on projects considered “public safety”. That begs the question of HOW the city council came up with the amount of money they need for public safety that they had no budget for in the first place.
Looking at the 2025/2026 adopted budget packet, the total increase in expenses over the past three years (2022-2024) and the estimate for the next two (2025-2026) is around $11 million:
- If you extend this increase from 2026 to 2031 (the intended time frame for the levy lid lift), the total is only $16 million.
- Adding ten officers (the intended goal) increases that number to $23 million.
- Since the budget mentions nothing about co-response, let’s double that ten officer increase to get $30 million.
And yet the city is asking for $52 million over that same time frame. Just how many sidewalks and light fixtures is the city planning on constructing to justify the remaining $22 million?
It seems as though the city will use this “public safety” levy to pay for many other things outside of whatever definition of “public safety” they decide to use. Demand more transparency, facts, and a REAL budget before the City of Burien takes your money.
You deserve that.
Vote NO on Proposition 1.
– Omaha Sternberg
On Behalf of the Con Committee
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