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The third and final town hall on the City of Edmonds levy lid lift is set for 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25 at Edmonds City Hall, 121 5th Ave. N.
The event will start with a city presentation, followed by an open house in which attendees can visit stations covering several city departments. Councilmembers and city staff will be there to share information and answer questions.
You can find more information at www.edmondswa.gov/levy2025.
If this passes, my property taxes wil go up by $3,000 a year! Please vote NO!
You must have a huge house!
Not necessarily. Likely factoring in the RFA tax that hasn’t hit bills yet.
2025 Median AV = ~$925,000
Using $1,000,000 AV & $14,500,000 levy (1st year, next year(s) adjust to CPI-U)
Difference between 2025 & 2026 tax bill is ~$1,900/yr.
You can try MEN’s calculator. Requires input of at least 2 fields.
BTW – several studies show landlords pass 80 – 90% of property tax increases off to tenants. Business that lease also impacted.
https://myedmondsnews.com/2025/09/reminder-thinking-about-your-future-tax-bill-try-our-updated-calculator/
Thank you Nick. That’s a lot more compared with the $2+ a day we have seen posted on various websites and social media promoting this levy.
A $3000 increase would mean a home with an assessed value of $3,225,806. That’s hardly the experience of the typical Edmonds homeowner…
The median home in Edmonds is $840,200. For the typical homeowner, Prop 1 would cost $2.14 per day, or $65 per month.
YesForEdmonds.org is a great place to find more information about this levy, including specifics about the brutal cuts that would transpire should it not pass.
$840k is at least a year old. Suggest folks use the SnoCo Assessor link to get your actual 2025 assessed value. Values increased over 2024.
https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/assessor
BTW – can you find the $8M in headcount cuts the city claims? See the link below, salary information from the city of Edmonds budget document.
https://d38u6hukd4et5m.cloudfront.net/laborexpenditures.png
Adel — you might want to ease up on the calculator flex.
A $3,000 increase means a $3.2 million home — so unless we’re measuring Edmonds by your Zillow tab, that’s not exactly a relatable data point. The median homeowner doesn’t need another city-sponsored math lesson — they need City Hall to stop pretending $65 a month is pocket change.
$2.14 a day buys coffee (well it used to, mine was $5.50+ this morning in Downtown Edmonds), not competence.
And if the best case for this levy is “it’s not that much,” then maybe the problem isn’t the math — it’s the mindset.
why bother to go when the City does not follow the State election guidelines of the PDC (Public Disclosure Commission) and allow opposition parties to have an equal amount of time on the podium to present their Vote No case – as the City does to advocate the ‘yes’ case for the tax levy? Having just 3 minutes of individuals’ public speaking time is not providing a PDC mandated equal, fair, and neutral environment to counter and question the City’s presentations. The City is engaging in a 1-way advocacy for the tax levy by confusing and scaring taxpayers into thinking they will lose essential park, police, and road services if they vote against the tax levy. The City has not done any analysis to prioritize programs (for example, no financials for operating Francis Anderson Center for each program, nor comparing it to other programs that were ranked higher and deemed to deserve funding). With scarce resources there are always trade-offs for funding depending on a priority list. Police funding has increased 61% in 4 years. Why is more needed when other cities pay 40% less for equivalent police services? Why won’t the Council show fiscal discipline and accountability by doing proper due diligence on all alternatives – like Jim Ogonowski and other career financial citizens have done? The Town Halls are a charade.
To all — a former City of Edmonds employee, who shared the same first name, several years ago emphasized to me that the spelling is Frances Anderson. I keep seeing it mispelled, especially lately, so wanted to remind everyone. Especially since Frances Anderson played such an important role in Edmonds’ history. — Teresa Wippel, publisher.
I attended the first town hall and was stunned that the mayor, after the TH stated that ” Nobody wants to hear each others questions” and said that asker’s could approach him independently. Many in attendance booed this decision. Also, as I walked the quadrant of city divisions, and listened to discussions, it was so apparent that the city officials manning the posts were coached up on what to say, prior. Honestly, I and many more left pretty ticked off. The new police chief bless her heart, looked very uncomfortable trying to answer questions. Voting NO.
Every one of these “town halls” has the same script: Give us $14.5 million — or else the sky will fall.
Then come the “open house” breakouts — conveniently coordinated so every department hums the same tune.
It’s less town hall, more timeshare pitch.
No talk of efficiency, surplus, or partnerships — just one option: your wallet.
A startling report regarding the administration’s town hall, and equally astonishing is the manner in which the “Yes” team ignores or justifies such dubious actions.
People keep saying “Don’t worry, seniors can get a tax reduction!”
I think a lot of people are not aware that the County doesn’t just go without that money; the tax burden is shifted to all of the other residents. So while some residents will receive the reduction, others will pay even more than expected.
Edmonds city government never wants to hear anything but, “everything you are doing is fine and everything is wonderful and always perfect in our town. Decenters need not apply. Smart people with good ideas and thinking routinely get ostracized for their efforts. When the planning board makes a decision the Mayor and his faithful city attorney don’t like they just tell the Council to change course and the loyal and subservient Council does just that. These people are slowly but surely destroying a wonderful place because they just know what’s best for everyone. People seeking municipal employment of all types have long seen Edmonds as a real great place to land because they run the show. Why do you think they keep rushing back when an Edmonds mayor calls? They all mean well of course, but it all too often doesn’t end well. This awful fight over the levy is just the latest chapter of the book.
I filled out my ballot and mailed it and suddenly none of these opinions matter too much anymore.
Me too; ballot was in the dropbox on Friday. For the first time, I didn’t vote in a contested election~ two apparently well-qualified women judges running for Court of Appeals. I saw no reporting at all anywhere on these two candidates, nothing to help voters decide between them.
Democracy is a great system but if the news media ignore contested elections, voters are left to guess, or leave their ballot unmarked as I did.
So noted for next time — Teresa
Roger – Democracy also includes consulting with others … I connected with attorneys I’ve known for several years to get feedback on the Moore/Bui race and made my vote based on on those discussions.
My focus has been on news media communications, how regular folks usually get election news and information. Before finishing my ballot on Friday, one more internet search found only materials written by the candidates or their friends; nothing from any journalism source.
But of course you are correct, talking with knowledgeable friends and others we know can often reveal useful information and insights.
Matthew, exactly. Faced with Roger’s dilemma on this; if I were that concerned about getting the vote “right” I’d have googled both, which he apparently did, being a smart man. Then I would have called my personal lawyer or any lawyer friends I knew to see if I could get any inside information. If not enough good evidence of who is “right” is found then either flip a coin or don’t vote. One of them is going to have to win, so I’d just flip the coin.
I don’t think Teresa W. owes anyone any apologies over possibly not covering this, as just keeping up on the ins and outs of Edmonds’ candidates and what happens with City Hall issues is enough of a challenge that she handles rather well virtually all the time.
Oh Matt, c’mon
“So you voted so now nothing matters” is exactly how cities end up with the same people making the same bad decisions and then acting shocked when folks speak up.
You don’t get to cash out of the conversation just because you licked a stamp. I’ll be here the day after the election when the bill shows up — higher taxes on our homes, higher costs on our businesses, services getting cut anyway because there was never a real plan.
And an ambitious goal: to help move our city government back to center – so it works for everyone…all 42k of us. Rest assured, I, for one, will use every skill and relationship I have…
Voting is step one. Accountability is the rest of the work.
But if you’re saying you’re done talking policy until 2027, cool — the adults will keep going. ♂️
No, a stamp is not needed to return a Snohomish County ballot through the U.S. Postal Service
. All mail-in ballots for Washington State include prepaid postage
Thanks for the civics lesson, professor. The point was about voting, not postage.
Roger, I don’t know if there’s a direct connection, but an unsuccessful candidate for a judicial position has filed a lawsuit against a local group that endorsed the opponent as well as against the opponent, and word is a local media source has been subpoenaed for documents rebated to their process for judicial interviews and endorsement. I believe the court put the kibosh of the subpoena. I don’t know all the details, but regardless of which candidate a voter supports and the merits of the case (or not) it’s an unusual situation and may have had a chilling effect. As a member of the bar, I’ve long been an advocate for more information being made available to the general public regarding judge and the roles of judges at different levels of the court system. The tough part is 75-80 percent of the time, the vacancy is between elections, the position is filled by appointment, and the appointed candidate runs unopposed in the election. In this race for the Court of Appeals, the governor did not appoint anyone by the deadline, hence the election. Probably more than you wanted to know, but I agree, there needs to be more information about judicial candidates and how to evaluate them. I endorsed one of the candidates in this election but had the inside scoop as a lawyer.
That’s exactly the kind of dynamic worth paying attention to, Kim. When the same handful of people and organizations influence city decisions, endorsements, and public narratives, lines start to blur fast.
We’ve seen it locally — a revolving door between City Hall, “independent” boards, and media outlets that are supposed to hold power accountable. When the watchdogs become part of the pack, transparency disappears.
This isn’t about one candidate or lawsuit — it’s about making sure Edmonds residents get truth, not coordination.
As far as the lawsuit, it may not have been clear from my post, but I’m appalled that a judicial candidate would sue an opponent, which is a clear violation of Washington’s Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (aka the anti-SLAPP statute), and as the daughter of two journalists and a big fan of the Constitution, even more troubled that a judicial candidate (or anyone) would attempt to use legal process to compel a journalist from disclosing information gathered as part of their reporting process. This particular media outlet (the one subpoenaed) employs exceptionally talented and ethical reporters and editors and has done a great job of holding powerful interests accountable. I don’t always agree with their conclusions, but that’s a sign of good journalism, IMO. MEN is also an excellent example of this. I don’t agree with everything our esteemed editor and her staff publish, but it’s darn good journalism regardless. Everyone should read widely, and that goes for this local election as well as any. The purpose of critical reading and analysis of multiple sources of information is to give power no place to hide. #powertothepeople #alutacontinua
Kim — get the spirit behind the slogans — “Power to the People,” “A luta continua” — but at some point, we’ve got to move past rallying cries and get back to governing. Edmonds doesn’t need revolution; it needs results.
Let’s bring things back to center, focus on collaboration, and start tackling the issues right in front of us — budgets, infrastructure, and how to make this city work better for everyone.
Kim, thank you for noting that you gave an endorsement to one of the judicial candidates. I clicked on their My Edmonds News ad just now, and went to their list of endorsers. The endorser names take up pages and pages! I found your name on that very impressive list, and that confirms for me which judge you were referring to. You’re in good company; and as a former assistant AG for the State of Wash, I appreciate your participation in the discourse in Edmonds. I always read your comments. (we’ve voted the same way on this one. )
best,
Theresa
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Theresa. My AAG days are long behind me, almost a decade now, but I’m still actively practicing and take an interest in developments in the judicial branch. This year, we were lucky to have two good candidates for the open position and it was a tough choice. Note of interest: in one of the last elections for the Court of Appeals, it was our then-Edmonds Municipal Court Judge Coburn who was elected and she has turned out (no surprise) to be a huge asset to the appellate bench.
Lee, it’s clear to me from prior exchanges here that we approach municipal issues very differently. I’m old and fairly set in my ways, so while your persistence is admirable, I’m not a likely convert to all of your opinions. But keep commenting, because the more the merrier. That’s what makes this country great. Folks voice their opinions, others are free to adopt or discard as they see fit.
Joan, before we decided to sell and mostly move on, I calculated that with the RFA tax and the potential levy lift our taxes would go up at least $2000 and probably a little more on our house that was valued at about 1.3M when we sold it for 1.5M. After living thru the Connector debacle, the state of the art waste treatment plant that doesn’t work, the Civic Field Park cost over run and loss of function, a staffer being given a free trip to Japan on the city dime along with the mayor’s family, and last but not least the City Council Majority supported Landmark property hand out of city funds to a seller of property no one else even wants; I decided Edmonds has a severe spending and misappropriation of available funds problem; more than a revenue problem. I think the Edmonds city government system as now constituted is basically un-fixiable. The current power structure blames it all on Nelson and inflation but the truth is the questionable spending happened way before Nelson, Covid and high inflation ever came an the scene.
Un-fixable yet people keep fighting to want to live here. Must be the world’s nicest dumpster fire!
Jeremy, your accidental wisdom never ceases to amaze me. You are absolutely correct in this description of what current Edmonds is. People move to Edmonds for the beach, the port, the Salish Sea, the dive park, the dog park, the waterfront center, the petanque court, the restaurant and bar scene, etc. They move to Edmonds thinking it is this really well run, put together financially and politically city with a fantasy about how wonderful it will be living there. Many will be increasingly disappointed when they get their first property tax bills or rent hikes and bloated sewer/water fees come summertime. Others will learn the city could care less about absolutely protecting the water they drink and the native salmon runs in their wonderful creeks along with allowing homes to be built too close to or in Critical Areas. It has truly become a “dumpster fire.” And the people that really want to bring it back and protect it get ostracized and ignored.
Could it be that Edmonds has has so many blunders financially that perhaps Edmonds should merge with another city such as MLT or Mukilteo? There are several examples online of communities that have merged and saved money based on shared services, leveraged buying power, etc. At one of the September council meetings I shared a list during the public comments time. It is just an idea, but considering the issues the City of Edmonds has had, its perhaps worth a look.
No — not feasible. A merger would take far too long to execute and create more instability than it solves.
What Edmonds needs isn’t consolidation — it’s competence. We need to retain local control but bring real subject-matter expertise into Council, the Mayor’s office, and Economic Development. You don’t run a city like a non-profit. Period.
Council needs to come back to center — and business deserves a seat at the table. That voice has been missing. I won’t let City Hall dictate how I run my business.
The fix isn’t outsourcing our identity — it’s electing people who know how to manage budgets, grow revenue, and operate like a modern city. That means addressing real issues like paid parking, ADA access, and Highway 99 reinvestment — and actually collaborating with the Port, regional partners, and our volunteer groups.
Revenue problems are people problems. Put the right people in place, and Edmonds will start turning the ship.
Lee, it might help a bunch if the elected city leadership started listening to the resident competent citizen experts and fired a bunch of incompetent and self-serving consultants and staff people who can’t function without hiring consultants. It seems like if you have competent staff people to begin with, you wouldn’t need so much in the way of consultants and professional grant writers which is what your administrations always seem to be screaming out for more of. You have a city attorney who keeps getting no cut/no competition contracts , who’s paid by the billed hour, with no reason what so ever to try to keep the billed hours down or not insert himself into Council decisions every time he takes a notion. This attorney formed his company to basically have Edmonds as his main client. You have one city council member who says, “if it (attorney service) ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” And guess what, that’s coming from a fellow attorney. You can’t make this stuff up, and you wonder why you have never ending problems, mis -spending and lawsuits.
Lee, What do you mean by more instability? By merging with say MLT who appears to be more fiscally responsible and by merging we may get more competent leadership, several long term cost savings benefits, better robust services like police, an indoor pool facility, etc. I think it should be something to look deeper at. As far as Edmonds loosing its identity, I would prefer to live in a town that doesn’t constantly have financial issues, questionable spending habits and has better services over the name of the town.
Many really rich folks and frugal people in Woodway have gone out of their way to see that no merger with Edmonds ever takes place. Mountlake Terrace has a sensible modern government because it was incorporated in the 1950’s, instead of the 1890’s like Edmonds was; where the government system dates back to the middle ages and earlier.
@Jared,
totally fair question – and typing on the go…, so apologize.
On the surface, ‘merger’ sounds like a fix — shared services, potentially better economies of scale, and streamlined admin. But from a fiscal management standpoint, it’s not that easy, in my opinion.
There are major short- and mid-term costs: aligning labor contracts, SI, reconciling tax structures, pension obligations, and facilities management. Those are real, recurring expenses — not one-time hits — and they often erase the early savings. The other challenge is certainly ‘governance’.
Look at from a business perspective: if this were a private business, I’d describe it as a dilution of brand and operational focus. Meaning, you gain scale, but you lose the local agility and customer intimacy/service that makes Edmonds, Edmonds, in the first place.
What Edmonds needs isn’t a new (parent company) — it needs competent fiscal management, clearer priorities, and discipline to execute – and in execution. We can fix that internally. A ‘merger’, as you suggest, simply trades one set of risks for another, and in my view, creates more instability in the process. We don’t need more instability..
@Lee I appreciate you comments and clarification. I’m not certain that the city of Edmonds is capable of competent fiscal management, etc as I’ve been a resident for a few decades. It sounds like the way MLT government is structured is a better model than Edmonds founded much earlier. These are robust reforms you are describing and I’m unsure who is capable of accomplishing this task. I’ll review your comments regarding the cons you described with more depth.
At the last town hall, did the mayor finally acknowledge the city’s ongoing dispute with the RFA over funds owed to Edmonds under our fire contract prior to annexation? He remained silent when I directly confronted the RFA about it during the annexation town halls. The RFA categorically denied any obligation—yet the city, fully aware of the facts, stood silent. Even more troubling, the RFA posted a denial on their campaign FAQ, only to quietly remove the statement once the measure passed.
This isn’t about revisiting the RFA ballot measure. It’s about the transparency and honesty of our elected officials. How have they—and their supporters—continued to promote the $14.5 million permanent levy lid lift while knowing full well that other options exist? And a $17 million settlement with the RFA is also within reach. That’s not speculation—I’ve done the homework.
We’re being told this levy is essential, but the numbers tell a different story. The city isn’t out of options—it’s out of accountability. And when leadership chooses silence over truth, it erodes public trust. Voters deserve clarity, not spin. We deserve a city government that prioritizes fiscal responsibility and honest communication. The issue here isn’t just about dollars—it’s about integrity. And that’s something no levy can buy.
The city isn’t broke – it’s broken and only a NO vote will be able to help it.
and vote for new RFA commissioners on your ballot this week
The final Town Hall meeting was more evidence of the City’s disregard for State Public Disclosure Commission laws and disrespect for taxpayers. The Mayor refused to answer 27 written questions from some 250 residents, and refused to provide an open mic for residents to ask their questions. He and CM Tibbotts presented a 40-minute slide set loaded with misinformation and half-truths about the tax levy lift. The only question taken during that 40 minutes was “why is the RFA withholding $15M (or more) in unpaid hospital transport fees?” The Mayor punted it and said because it was a legal contract question, he couldn’t comment. Following the 40 min 1-way presentation, the Mayor then had the audience attend four 10-minute ‘break-out’ sessions where department directors of police, parks, public works, and planning presented why their departments needed the tax levy lift and answered a few questions. All total, residents had about 10-15 minutes to ask questions, and the City had 75 minutes of 1-way presentations. How does this meet State law for equal, fair, and impartial information transfer? Jim Oganowski has done substantial research into the RFA contract breach – which accumulated for some 6 years before the contract expired prior to the annexation vote. Why was that issue not disclosed to residents prior to the annexation vote? The City’s disregard for taxpayers is unacceptable.
Jim Ogonowski thank you for your comments. I too recall during the RFA Town Halls that the RFA denied any obligation regarding the disputed funds. They posted this denial on their campaign FAQ and then, Jim, is correct, later removed the statement from the website when the measure passed. And yes, the city was silent and obfuscated when asked. When the city lies openly, it is heard. But there is also the ‘lie of omission’ and we have ‘heard’ many of those from the city. Through their actions, lack of transparency and honesty, back room deals, cover-ups, and wrong doings, trust has been eroded. Jim’s words bear repeating: “The city isn’t out of options—it’s out of accountability. And when leadership chooses silence over truth, it erodes public trust. Voters deserve clarity, not spin. We deserve a city government that prioritizes fiscal responsibility and honest communication. The issue here isn’t just about dollars—it’s about integrity. And that’s something no levy can buy.” Vote No on Prop 1.
I attended the First town hall meeting. Its agenda was the same as the one on October 25th. Citizens are denied the opportunity ask questions. The presentation was totally in favor of the levy lift. Remember folks, this is a Permanent levy lift and will continue brocade significant tax $ to your property tax. The ESD is going to ask for more tax $. We haven’t seen the RFA tax $ yet and sound Transit just approved another 1% property tax increase. Edmonds already increased the sales tax and is considering another sales tax increase plus a possible B&O tax. This taxation is out of control. Voted NO on Prop. 1 .