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Last Tuesday, the Edmonds City Council took a positive first step toward solving our City’s budget crisis.
By advancing a $14.5 million dollar levy lid lift and committing to at least $5 million in non-property tax revenues before the end of the year, Council showed courageous leadership and a willingness to listen to all constituents, not just the ones who have historically been the loudest.
Residents from all corners of Edmonds have made clear they want the City to take meaningful action so that catastrophic cuts to services won’t happen. Residents want our City to be fully funded and fully staffed, so that we can thrive — not just survive.
Council’s dual-track approach of pursuing new revenues from a combination of a $14.5 million levy and at least $5 million in non–property tax revenue echoes the message of Keep Edmonds Vibrant: the additional load required to fully fund Edmonds shouldn’t be shouldered exclusively by homeowners. Instead, it should be distributed across residents, non-residents, businesses, developers and other stakeholders. The Council is being responsive to the recommendations provided by those responsible for operating our city on a daily basis — our City staff and Mayor Rosen.
When voters are asked to approve the levy this November, they understandably will want to know how their money will be spent. As a homeowner, parent and self-employed small business owner in Edmonds, I feel the same way.
New revenues from a $14.5 million levy lid lift would be spent on fully staffing our city so that the significant cuts from this past year — totaling over $8 million — are reversed, and the proposed more catastrophic cuts (see City Resolution pgs. 476-487), never get implemented.
I also expect new revenues would be spent on our beloved parks and public buildings so that we don’t continue to defer our City’s backlog of maintenance, and never again need to entertain the sale of the Frances Anderson Center to private property developers for one-time extra cash. Voting to approve this levy helps us save Frances Anderson Center once and for all. Finally, I expect that a portion of these new revenues would assist in building back our depleted reserves so that we’re no longer in default under state law.
Personally, I have already started to feel the effects of the diminished services and staffing levels we’re currently experiencing — a direct result of the massive budget cuts from this past year. Due to these cuts and less staffing, our parks are experiencing more trash, broken equipment and closed facilities. Permits are taking longer to process. There is minimal staffing dedicated to community and economic development to support our local business community. We have reduced resources for public safety and now have fewer police officers than similarly sized peer cities. Services are being stretched to the breaking point.
This path is truly unsustainable, and increased property taxes will reverse this trend. It’s also important to note that seniors and low-income residents making up to $76,000/year in annual income already qualify for property tax exemptions under state law, which will still apply if a ballot measure passes.
Edmonds’ budget crisis can and will be solved through residents coming together to talk to one another and by getting out the vote this fall. This levy will pass if voters are confident it will actually address the issues facing our city. We encourage Council to clarify the specifics of the levy to articulate how it will be spent so that voters know why this is being asked of them.
Edmonds is at a crossroads, but together we can choose the right path. I hope you will join Keep Edmonds Vibrant, the mayor and a majority of city council in supporting this levy.
Erik Houser is a volunteer for Keep Edmonds Vibrant.
“I also expect new revenues would be spent on our beloved parks and public buildings…”
Why am I not convinced that “I would expect” guarantees and specific projects? The mayor and council owe us DETAILED and specific amounts and DETAILED and specific measures and projects. I am reluctant to vote for a vague measure that is defended by “I also expect.”
You obviously weren’t at the council meeting – where there was back and forth and about making how to spend the levy monies more vague than in the proposed ordinance. Further “expecting” how the money will be spent is NOT a plan! Does your small business have an actual spending plan or just expectations?
You say you’ve experienced the effects of the city’s cuts and then include a very long list. Have you personally had a permit slowed, tried to engage staff for economic development support and been denied, or had police officers not show up for you? Saying the parks are affected is believable until your photo of Civic Park shows a sign that says “playground resurfacing.” This picture shows the city working on the park issue not ignoring it!
The budget called for a $6M levy. That money with the $5M in new revenue (of which, contrary to your assertions, has not been fast-tracked to be enacted in 2025) will more than re-fill the $8M in cuts. Then responsibly, the city budgets for deferred maintenance, future staffing needs, etc.
Until a full spending plan is developed and shared, this is an unbelievable ask! From your views it’s clear you can afford this, however, this is a levy that will have huge consequences for a lot of residents!
Erik, your staffing numbers don’t match the KEV presentation. Here’s a link, see page 33.
https://keepedmondsvibrant.org/slides/5-27-25.pdf
Only Lynnwood has more officers than Edmonds. In 5 minutes, I was able to source data from Snohomish County 911, showing Lynnwood handles 57% higher call volume.
http://sno911.org/public-records/annual-report/#2022-2023-annual-report
I’ve seen this playbook in Seattle. Price homeowners out and the dense housing takes it’s place. KEV’s ‘back of the napkin’ budget analysis will help usher in the ‘ballard-ization’ of Edmonds.
You see this article, many in Edmonds willing to lend a hand in our parks. MEN has my email, if you see trash in the park, send me an email. I’ll go pick up.
https://myedmondsnews.com/2025/06/reader-view-opinion-the-value-of-community-volunteers/
Here’s a King 5 article highlighting the property tax burden. In this case forcing out a teacher from her Sammamish home.
Your push for a levy lift is unfair to the 50% of Edmonds households earning less than the median $116,000/yr. BTW WA ranks 5th most unaffordable state.
https://www.king5.com/article/money/economy/king-county-property-taxes-increasing/281-79a95bdf-74b1-4071-815e-36146b525480
https://www.theolympian.com/news/politics-government/article308838300.html
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/edmondscitywashington/PST045224
Residents, KEV is well resourced. Social media will influence the outcome.
Erik,
You state “Council showed courageous leadership.” There’s nothing courageous about hiring a consultant to parse language to push through annexation to the RFA. Nothing courageous about enlisting KEV to push through a tax levy. Over the past 20+ years our Mayors/administrations created the budget mess Edmonds is now in. Putting resolution on the backs of taxpayers isn’t courageous. It’s a negligent and irresponsible cover-up of past mis-use of taxpayer dollars.
The only Council members demonstrating “courageous leadership” are CM Dotsch, advocating for all constituents’ concerns, working diligently to keep up-zoning within reasonable parameters, and CM Nand who advocated for “local control” over up-zoning, prior to the legislature’s vote. Dotsch and Nand have demonstrated sincere concern for the impact of increased property taxes on those less fortunate.
And your tired, overused statement that Council demonstrated “a willingness to listen to all constituents, not just the ones who have historically been the loudest” is highly disrespectful of the volunteer hours contributed by Joe Scordino (Citizen of the Year), Diane Buckshnis, Ken Reidy, Jim Ogonowski, Theresa Hollis and innumerable others who have worked diligently to make Edmonds a better place to live, for ALL of us.
Quite frankly, this Reader View/Opinion piece sounds very much like the same kind of cherry-picked data and information that was used to support the scare tactics and propaganda to convince people to vote for the excessively costly RFA annexation. Since KEV is literally behaving like a biased consultant for our mayor and city council, your credibility is already shot as far as I’m concerned,
It appears that KEV has replaced Liz Loomis Public Affairs (LLPA) as the mayor’s shill to promote the levy lid lifts. Don’t be misled again – i.e. Regional Fire Authority (RFA). Carefully read and digest the many comments in this thread. Verify first and then trust. During the time when the mayor and six council members were trying to sell the RFA annexation to us, the mayor and the RFA reps held many information meetings. They never once allowed the opposing view from the group Edmonds Can Do Better (ECDB) to present. We were allowed two minutes from the audience to present while the mayor and RFA spoke without time constraints. Yet, recently at a city council meeting the four members of KEV were allowed to make a lengthy presentation. Why? The mayor paid Loomis LLPA $64,000 to help promote and sell RFA annexation to us – along with the FFPAC’s $36,000. I filed a PDC complaint. The PDC found against the mayor and city and issued him a warning. Unfortunately, the warning came one week before the April 22 vote – misleading Edmonds had been done. So fast forward to today. Mayor Rosen will not be hiring another PR firm to do his bidding to sell his enormous levy. He now has KEV to help him do it. Who are these KEV folks, background?
Interesting numbers.
Erik mentions the property tax exemptions the state already provides seniors and low-income residents making up to $76,000/year in annual income.
If, as Nick responds, “Your push for a levy lift is unfair to the 50% of Edmonds households earning less than the median $116,000/yr.” What cost-cutting options are available for households that fall between $76,000 and $116,000? How many Edmonds residents in that donut hole are on fixed incomes? I imagine a lot of seniors.
Also, considering Erik’s description – “our parks are experiencing more trash, broken equipment and closed facilities” – who thought it was a good idea to spend taxpayer money on the SIX signs along Sunset Avenue which read: Pardon our lack of parks maintenance due to current City of Edmonds budget cuts. Thank you for your understanding.
The irony.
Volunteerism – the secret sauce Mayor Rosen spoke of while campaigning for mayor. Mayor Rosen took a photo op along with CM Olson and Joe Scordino helping to clean out the marsh during his campaign. The Beacon and MEN published it. For many years – 10 or 15 years – Diane Buckshnis, my neighbor, sent out her yearly email letting the neighborhood know it was time to clean out Hutt Park again. There was never a photo op or self-promotion of any kind, it was just something she/we did. Nick Lopez in his much appreciated comments has said he is willing to help clean up our parks – many others will too. We are a caring community willing to do our part when called. Parks and city clean-up is a place where the city can save taxpayer dollars utilizing a willing community.
I am not anti-levy. I will vote for one once the mayor and council have shown that they have gone through the budget line item by line item and justified every dollar being spent and asked for in the levy lid lift. Without that I will not vote for a levy lid lift that will encumber my fellow neighbors with higher taxes while possibly taxing them out of their homes. The annexation into RFA will increase what we pay for fire/EMS from $12 million to $21 million with no increase in service. Where is the justification? Now please show me the justification to vote for a $14.5 million levy lid lift.
The irony here is beyond belief. The City HAS DECIDED the amount of the levy-lift with NO detail on what additional ‘municipal services’ it provides and exactly what past overspending has been eliminated from the budget. And now, AFTER the decision is made, the City is going to have a Public Hearing????
So my ‘tongue-in-cheek’ advice to the City is to just follow Trump’s approach and call this the “BIG and BEAUTIFUL LEVY-LIFT” to make Edmonds vibrant again. Let’s see how many taxpayers will actually be fooled into voting for it.
I’m still waiting for City to present results of a zero-based budgeting exercise. Citizens still don’t know what essential municipal operations actually cost IN Edmonds (and exactly what “essential” is being defined as (are costly new sidewalks ‘essential’). Citizens of Edmonds deserve something better than the ‘smoke and mirrors’ approach that is being used to confuse and scare taxpayers into supporting an increased City budget with no assurances and accountability (which is what created the budget deficit in the first place).
The City may have justification for a $6M levy-lift, but taxpayers can’t tell. The City did list Park services they’d terminate (without a $6M levy), but it left taxpayers wondering why such essential PUBLIC services would be cut to allow hiring new City Administrator, Mayor’s Information Officer, and grossly over-paying the City attorney.
i lead a volunteer effort to help homeowners apply for the senior and disabled property tax exemption that the author mentions. But he has the facts wrong in terms of the financial threshold to qualify and the impact of the City’s proposed levy lid lift tax. i suggest interested readers contact someone on City Council to get the correct info about their levy and the exemption program.