MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — The city is asking voters to consider a tax measure during the Aug. 2 primary election that would bring in money to pay rent for the interim City Hall and improve parks.
Without that revenue, service cuts are likely, City Manager Scott Hugill said.
The city for years has been renting temporary office space. The money for that is running out, Hugill said.
The proposed levy lid lift, called Proposition 1, would tax property owners an additional 44 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. The owner of a $250,000 home would pay an additional $110 a year, if the measure is approved.
Of the 44 cents, 25 cents is a permanent tax for parks and recreation, “a key part of Mountlake Terrace’s culture and identity,” Hugill said. “It’s really going to help maintain and enhance our recreation and parks programs.”
The other 19 cents is a four-year levy for a new City Hall. The goal would be to get a building designed and built in that time frame, with “a lot of public involvement,” Hugill said. About 30 people work out of City Hall.
“This is a financial situation where we really need help,” he said.
Once a new building is paid off, the dollars now being used for rent could go toward community projects, he said. Rent for the current City Hall is nearly $450,000 a year. The city’s general fund budget for 2016 is $14.7 million.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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