EVERETT — Voters have rejected a public safety levy lid lift to support the Brier Police Department, leaving city officials warning that current staffing levels are not sustainable.
Proposition 1 failed in the April 22 special election, with 58% of voters opposed and 42% in favor, according to preliminary results. About 41% of the city’s 5,077 registered voters cast ballots. Votes are expected to be certified on May 2.
The measure sought to raise the city’s property tax rate from $0.57821 to $1.07821 per $1,000 of assessed value, generating about $1.1 million annually to fund two new patrol sergeant positions and stabilize the city’s budget.
Without new revenue, Brier faces a $500,000 annual deficit that could leave the general fund in the red by 2029, City Clerk-Treasurer Paula Swisher said.
“We respect the will of the voters although we were hoping for a different outcome,” Mayor Dale Kaemingk said in a press release. He added that city leadership will now evaluate how to address ongoing financial challenges, including the possibility of bringing another proposal to voters.
Police Chief Alexander Hawley said the department’s staffing model has remained unchanged since 1996, despite growth in workload and community needs. The department has six officers, the chief and a newly created patrol sergeant position.
“If one officer has to go out for training or gets sick, takes vacation, it affects everyone else,” Hawley said. Managing schedules often requires near-daily adjustments to maintain basic patrol coverage.
While Brier remains a low-crime city, Hawley said staffing gaps have serious impacts. Officers frequently patrol alone, requiring support from nearby departments for incidents needing multiple responders.
“We’re wholly dependent upon outside agency assistance, if the call requires two or more officers,” he said.
Retention has been an ongoing struggle. Hawley noted that most officers leave for neighboring agencies offering better pay and more stable schedules.
“When they are not leaving law enforcement, they are not leaving the state, they are not leaving the area, they are going next door,” Hawley said. “That’s tough.”
The department achieved full staffing in 2024, but Hawley said turnover remains high and constant recruiting strains operations.
“It’s going to be tougher to spend more time and energy on recruitment and retention,” he said. “Trying to get as creative as I can, as we can, to attract.”
Swisher said the city’s financial outlook is growing more difficult. Since 2022, Brier’s liability insurance costs have increased by 206%, she said, while the general fund — heavily reliant on property taxes — struggles to keep pace.
“Unfortunately, we live in a state that is way too tax heavy, in my opinion,” Swisher said.
Swisher said the rejected levy would have helped not only the police department, but freed up money for other critical city staffing needs. Without it, the city faces tough decisions about reallocating limited funds.
“The intent was take some burden off of the general fund by getting the extra money that not only allows us to hire the additional people … but it also helps to free up the money to make sure that we can get all of the other positions within city government that we need as well,” Swisher said.
Adding new officers now without additional revenue would only accelerate the city’s financial decline, she said, leaving the council to decide whether to preserve current staffing or risk an earlier budget shortfall.
The last time Brier voters approved a levy lid lift was in 1992. Since then, inflation and rising costs have significantly outpaced the 1% annual property tax revenue growth allowed under state law, Swisher said.
Officials said they have not yet met with the City Council to determine next steps, but any future proposal will likely need to address gaps in public safety and city services.
“We’re going to have to run the police department the way it’s always been run, and leave it as it is,” Swisher said.
Aspen Anderson: 425-339-3192; aspen.anderson@heraldnet.com; X: @aspenwanderson.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
