Prior to passing Mayor Jim Ferrell’s 2017-18 proposed budget, the City Council studied it for several weeks but the primary focus of discussions has been the $1 million budget addendum Ferrell wanted increased taxes to fund nine new police officers. Ferrell preferred a utility tax on Lakehaven Utility district to pay for the officers. The four murders last spring created strong community reaction for more police, and with elections looming in 2017, both Ferrell and the council want to show they were listening. But while the council has been willing to go along with Ferrell, his proposal was greeted with more skepticism in some quarters than he may have expected.
Many political observers believe the Police Officers Guild’s support for Ferrell in 2013 played a big role in his defeating incumbent Mayor Skip Priest. As a result, adding nine police officers in an election year is seen as his re-election game plan, rather than a thoughtful or reasoned approach to law enforcement needs. They note that his political brand when he ran for mayor three years ago was the “anti-PAEC” candidate because he said the expense of the Performing Arts and Events Center could cost us police officers. But when elected, he became the pro-PAEC incumbent. Now he wants to be the “public safety” candidate and raise taxes for police officers? Others complained that new taxes wouldn’t be necessary had Ferrell not increased public spending significantly when Priest left the city in good financial shape after some very challenging years. Most notably Ferrell spent over $300,000 on the new and already remodeled downtown park. He hired a chief of staff at $150,000 plus some extra cash perks. Then there was $100,000 for a director of the new Performing Arts and Events Center, plus more staff for the PAEC , and $75,000 for a college needs assessment that hasn’t attracted a college yet. And the branding study was budgeted at $100,000, although last spring Ferrell said it would be delayed until fall as the public might think spending money that way after three murders signaled questionable priorities. It is now winter, however, and we haven’t seen it. Include the extra benefits for highly paid positions and then the number of people Ferrell and former Chief of Staff Brian Wilson have let go with two- to four-month severance packages and throw in the cost of remodeling the mayor and council offices, and you get close to the $1 million that Ferrell said was needed.
Not surprisingly, there are some cynical views. One critic recalled that the city said no taxes would be raised because of the new PAEC. His suggestion was, “if you can’t afford more police officers without a tax increase, which wing of the PAEC will you delete?” Although much of the financing for the PAEC could not be used for general fund costs.
Early in discussions, council members Kelly Maloney and Susan Honda raised questions that the money could appear to some residents as a shell game and will end as a pass through to the PAEC. Filling the police positions and spreading the process out over two or more years as planned, while the revenue comes in monthly, once it is established, potentially provides a float to redirect to other projects.
The key question then becomes, has crime increased to such a high level as to justify a million dollars in additional taxes to pay for nine new police officers? When asked, Wilson made a vague reference to local and regional violent crime but didn’t answer the question. With data available from Federal Way Police Chief Andy Hwang for the last five years and 11 of 12 months for 2016, crime statistics do not show a significant crime wave. In fact, there will be only a slight net increase in crime over the five-year period by year’s end. Some areas, such as motor vehicle theft, aggravated assault and vandalism do need attention, however.
Then why, some residents ask, are nine officers needed? The murders last spring started the current debate, but Ferrell has already told us the murderer is in custody on other charges.
Wilson did say the nine officers would “enhance community safety and the perception of community safety.”
We need to spend $1 million for the “perception” of safety? That seems odd as Hwang only requested two police officers in the two-year budget, which is more consistent with a review of the actual crime statistics. That request was turned down by Ferrell, who came up with nine police officers. Ferrell did emphasize a desire to get to a goal of 140 officers for “possible future needs,” but a solid case for that many officers based on actual need has not been made, and the figure of 140 officers based on population is only a guide.
Some residents think the request is in response to the growth of multi-family housing and is the reason Ferrell recommended and the council passed a moratorium on apartments. Ferrell and the council denied this. However, any relationship during passage of the moratorium and during the continuation of the moratorium earlier this week.
Wilson then came up with still another reason, “Federal Way has less revenue than surrounding communities.” Maybe the answer is because our taxes are lower than surrounding communities, so that justifies raising them? That, however, doesn’t balance with a competing city initiative for a promotional campaign to attract new business, based on keeping taxes and fees lower for business.
Ferrell’s proposed budget is balanced, and the nine police officers were proposed as an addendum that would only balance with a tax increase. In a workshop with the council, however, Ferrell didn’t identify any cuts that would be implemented to avoid the tax increase and still fund Chief Hwang’s original request, thereby holding off any tax increase until absolutely necessary.
More recently, as the mayor and council worked through the budget options, we learned the city was expecting a federal COPS grant to help pay for the officers, and the utility tax was replaced by a combination of tax increases from a Transportation Business District, business registration fees, admission taxes and possible grants, which appears to raise close to $2.13 million in new revenue, over twice the original amount needed. In the process, we also learned the city needed $660,000 to cover the recently negotiated police contract for two years, and then, in keeping with the season, they started hanging more goodies on the Christmas tree, such as $500,000 for police equipment, a new salary study, because we “might” lose some city staff to Sound Transit, even though we only know of one that was lost. The council was able to add a small amount of money to the Historical Society, which is long overdue.
But Councilman Honda reminded everyone that several of the police officers that would be covered by a COPS grant in 2018 is not a sure thing. Chief Hwang will certainly be happy to get seven more police officers than he requested, but a case for the increase has still not been made. So, what is the real reason for the tax increase? Is it an impulsive response by Ferrell and overreaction by the council to earlier political climate of fear over the murders? Is it to steer a little more money toward the PAEC? Is it because our taxes are lower than surrounding communities and using police as political cover makes raising taxes easier? Is it because 2017 is an election year for the mayor and three council positions? Or all of the above?
Take your pick, but it isn’t because crime is out of control in Federal Way, because it isn’t, and that’s the brand Ferrell should be running on, not a tax increase to fund police officers that he can’t justify. Lastly, by 2019, an additional tax increase will be likely be needed to sustain current spending.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is the former mayor of Auburn. He can be reached at bjroegner@comcast.net.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is the former mayor of Auburn. He can be reached at bjroegner@comcast.net.
