SNOHOMISH — Property owners will be asked if they would pay more to keep the city’s police force and make sure parks remain open.

A survey about raising property tax rates is to be mailed out early next week, the City Council decided Tuesday night.

The budget survey includes an option to maintain the city’s police department and not contract with Snohomish County for police services. The survey says the average homeowner in Snohomish would pay an additional $82.92 annually for police services.

To keep all city parks open, the average homeowner would pay an additional $36.33 annually in taxes.

Another option on the survey is to pay no new taxes.

The city expects to provide the results to the City Council at their July 5 meeting, city manager Larry Bauman said.

Budget cuts ranging from around $820,000 to $1.1 million are necessary to make sure the city’s budget stays in the black next year. Closing three of the city’s major parks would save $164,500 and contracting out police services is expected to save $357,387, Bauman said.

“It will take at least several months to come to a point where we’re likely to have a firm reduction and know which revenue options the council wants to choose,” Bauman said.

The City Council on May 3 approved a ballot proposal to increase the city’s sales tax by 0.2 percent for street repairs. The measure is scheduled to be on the Aug. 16 primary ballot.

The council can vote to increase property taxes, Bauman said. State law limits the city to a 1 percent annual tax increase, but the city hasn’t raised property taxes by the full allowable amount every year. This “banked” tax capacity from previous years can be used to raise up to $1 million dollars.

“The council can technically utilize that entire amount or any portion of it,” Bauman said.

Snohomish resident Morgan Davis at a meeting Tuesday night said he asked the council to consider saving money in ways that did not include raising taxes to keep the city’s police services and make sure parks stay open.

“It doesn’t have to come down to this,” Davis said. “They want to use police and parks as a hammer over our heads. It shouldn’t be that choice.”

Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.

Public forum

The Snohomish City Council scheduled a meeting on June 21 to hear from the public about the city’s budget. The meeting is expected to follow the council’s regular session, which is set to begin at 6 p.m.