During its regular meeting on Feb. 21, the City Council voted unanimously to place a revised Public Safety Levy on the April 25 ballot.
When the November 2022 levy measure failed by 99 votes, the City Council and the City’s Public Safety Advisory Commission held a series of community focus group listening sessions to better understand the public’s concerns about the measure. It became clear that the proposal’s cost was one of the stumbling blocks for voters. As a result, the City Council considered other, less expensive options.
The measure that will appear on the April 25 special election ballot reduces the number of proposed new public safety personnel, thus lowering the cost of the proposal compared to the November levy proposal. The new proposal cost $0.35 per $1,000 in assessed value, or $35/year for every $100,000 in assessed value. For the average U.P. homeowner (with a home value of $652,240), that will be $19/month, or $228/year. This is approximately 14% less than the proposal on the ballot last November.
If approved by voters on April 25, the new levy would provide dedicated public safety funding that could not be used for other purposes. This funding would support staffing levels that more accurately reflect U.P.’s growing population and calls for service.
All U.P. addresses will receive a more detailed mailing about the levy in the coming weeks.