King County Local Voters Pamphlet

Sept. 14, 2004 Special Elections

PROPOSITION NO. 1
REGULAR TAX LEVY TO MAINTAIN
ESSENTIAL LEVEL OF COMMUNITY SERVICES

The City Council of the City of Des Moines Adopted Ordinance No. 1346 concerning voter approval of its regular property tax levy.

This proposition would approve an increase in the City’s permanent regular property tax levy rate, for the years 2005 and thereafter, to the authorized rate of $1.60 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in order to maintain an essential level of community services such as public safety, transportation, culture and recreation. Any future years property tax collections would be subject to the maximum increase of 1% per year per Chapter 84.55 RCW.

Should this levy be approved?

YES
NO

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The City of Des Moines is projecting that, for the 2005 general fund budget, ongoing revenues will fall short of ongoing expenses by approximately 3.3 million dollars or 20%. If the City were to balance the budget by cutting 3.3 million dollars of expenses, significant cuts would need to occur, including closing some city parks, elimination of some recreation programs, elimination or postponement of street repairs, and elimination of approximately 17 police department positions. The City Council has decided, therefore, to ask voters to increase the city’s regular property tax levy to help maintain the most essential levels of service.

If approved, this proposition will authorize the City to levy regular real property taxes for the year 2005 at a maximum rate of $1.60 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. The current rate is $1.27 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. If the levy is approved the City property tax on a home valued at $215,000 (the median value of homes in Des Moines) would increase by $71 per year.

The maximum increase of property tax collections in future years would be 1% per year, under state law. The levy would continue to be a regular property tax levy.

Statement For

Statement Against

Our city has a projected 2005 budget shortfall of $3,300,000. Unless we act now, revenue losses from repeal of the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax and the passage of statewide initiatives (like I-776) will force a 20% cut in city services.

Our streets, police, parks, the pool, and youth and senior services – all are at risk. We must pull together – no one will save them for us.

Des Moines has never faced a financial crisis like this. Our history of prudent fiscal management means that there is no “fat” to cut. We will get through this emergency only if we raise revenue while still trimming services. This levy-lid lift will make-up about $870,000 of the shortfall, and require only a 15% cut in services.

While not a complete solution, this represents our best way to cope until economic development increases our tax base and other revenue sources are found. As shown in the official explanatory statement above, the increased cost is modest – not much more than a latte and pastry each month.
In a Community, neighbors pull together for the common good. Your YES vote will help keep Des Moines a community we can be proud of.

Rebuttal of Statement Against

The problem is due to the loss of revenue beyond the city's control, not bad fiscal management.

The expenses cited in the "statement against" are deliberately taken out of context in a cynical attempt to trivialize our problem.

State law, not the council, prohibits citizen initiatives governing utility taxes.

Voting NO won't solve the problem. It will result in a loss of services that will hurt us all.

Please vote YES on Proposition 1.

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Stan Scarvie, Mark Proulx, Mysty Beal

For the last three years our city council has refused to confront the worsening budget problem. They used the city’s reserve funds to prop up each year’s budget rather than reduce expenses.

Now they expect citizens to pay for their mistakes by paying more property taxes. Raising taxes on people in a struggling economy makes the problem worse. The additional tax will not cure this city’s financial ills or provide you better service. New taxes won’t force the city to control wages, share medical insurance costs, or cut non-essential expenses.

Unwise City spending is reason enough to VOTE NO.

If money is scarce:
Why does the city continue hosting the extravagant out-of-city weekend “retreat” annually for the council and many city employees?
Why do they spend over $30,000/year for membership dues?
Why do they give much of the utility tax money to unsuccessfully fight the Third Runway?
Why does the Council repeatedly refuse to allow citizens to put an initiative on the ballot to reduce that tax?
They do not have to cut 17 police positions. This is a scare tactic!

Vote No on Proposition 1 and hold your officials accountable for the job you elected them to do.

Rebuttal Of Statement For

History shows our city will reduce expenses only if forced to.

The city’s proposal of across-the-board budget cuts eliminates good services as well as unnecessary ones, and no one wants that. Instead, duplicative, or unnecessary efforts should be cut. Better ways must be found to deliver services, improve performance and attract businesses to increase revenues.

Only after reductions should property taxes be raised, if needed.

VOTE NO and restore some sanity to the budgeting process.

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Jeanette Burrage

Complete Text of Resolution

ORDINANCE NO. 1346

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DES MOINES, WASHINGTON providing for the submission to the qualified voters of the City of Des Moines at an election to be held on September 14, 2004 of a proposition that would approve a maximum regular property tax levy rate for 2005 of $1.60/$1,000 assessed valuation in order to maintain essential levels of community services such as public safety, transportation, culture and recreation, and authorize the City, for the years 2005 and thereafter, to exceed the limits of Chapter 84.55 RCW based on the new voter-approved limit, directing the City Clerk to certify a copy of this ordinance to the King County Records & Elections Division, and setting forth the ballot proposition.

WHEREAS, the City of Des Moines is an optional code city, located in King County, Washington, duly organized and existing pursuant to the laws of the state of Washington, and
WHEREAS, the City is authorized to levy a permanent regular property tax not to exceed $1.60 per $1,000 assessed valuation on the real property within the City, and
WHEREAS, the City has an unused portion of its permanent regular property tax authority, and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to maintain an essential level of community services such as public safety, transportation, culture and recreation, and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to allow the electors to vote to ratify or reject a proposition to raise the permanent regular property tax on real property within the City, for the years 2005 and thereafter, to the authorized levy rate of $1.60 per $1,000 assessed valuation; now, therefore,

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DES MOINES ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:

Sec. 1. A Special Election is hereby requested to be held within the City of Des Moines on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 for the purpose of submitting to the qualified electors of the City, for their ratification or rejection, a proposition to raise the permanent regular property tax on real property within the City, from and after January 1, 2005, to $1.60 per $1,000.00 of assessed valuation.
Sec. 2. The proposition to be submitted to the electorate of the City shall read substantially as follows:

PROPOSITION

The City council of the City of Des Moines Adopted Ordinance No. 1346 concerning voter approval of its regular property tax levy.

Should this levy be approved? ____Yes ____No

Sec. 3. Severability - Construction.
(1) If a section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is declared unconstitutional or invalid for any reason by any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance.
(2) If the provisions of this ordinance are found to be inconsistent with other provisions of the Des Moines Municipal Code, this ordinance is deemed to control.
Sec. 4. Effective date. This ordinance shall take effect and be in full force five (5) days after its passage, approval, and publication in accordance with law.

PASSED BY the City Council of the City of Des Moines this 8th day of July, 2004 and signed in authentication thereof this 8th day of July, 2004.

___________________
MAYOR

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