I feel disappointed that Everett’s mayor and city council members amended the 2002 budget. The mayor amended the budget with no new hires and no new programs.
The worst decision they made was that, for the first time, the Everett Police Department would go below the national standard, which is two police officers per 1,000 citizens. This has been a standard the city has maintained for many years. In the past year the city has annexed south to 128th and Airport Road. There are many new large warehouse buildings and new home developments located in south Everett, and the population has increased. The demand on public safety has increased because of these things.
With the threat of terrorism and increases in population, public safety needs new people and new programs just to maintain the quality of service to its citizens. The last departments in the city to be cut should be police and fire departments. The city seems to have money to paint buses and build pedestrian bridges and a hockey stadium, but not enough money to increase public safety. As a south Everett resident, I ask you to call the mayor office and council members and tell them to make public safety the most important thing. If not, it could be your loved ones’ life, property or safety at stake.
Everett
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