Kirkland Sales Tax Increase Will Be On Ballot

KIRKLAND, WA - The Kirkland City Council this week voted to put a sales tax increase on the November ballot. The proceeds for the tax increase, if approved, would go toward police services.

The measure would increase the local sales tax rate 0.1 percent. Right now, Kirkland's sales tax rate is .10 percent.

Here's what the tax increase would fund, according to city officials:

• A Police ProAct Unit consisting of four (4) full-time police officers and one (1) support position focused on illegal drugs, car prowls, burglaries, mail theft, shoplifting, enforcing extreme risk protection orders and court-ordered gun forfeitures.
• Four (4) full-time school resource officers (“SROs”) in Finn Hill Middle School, Kamiakin Middle School, Kirkland Middle School and the International Community School, with the costs shared equally by the City and the Lake Washington School District (“LWSD”).
• One (1) additional Neighborhood Resource Officer to focus on community policing, code enforcement and emergency calls involving mental health complications.
• One (1) full-time mental health professional to help resolve police and emergency medical calls involving individuals with mental health complications, including domestic violence, suicide attempts and assisting homeless individuals. This service might also be contracted rather than hiring a new City employee.
• Additional dedicated grant funding for the social and emotional health of children and teenagers and to expand existing mental health, human services and after-school programs that provide suicide prevention, domestic violence prevention and drug addiction services.
• New annual funding for firearms safety training in the community and safe storage of firearms, including subsidized trigger locks and gun safes.
• New annual funding to support women and family shelter operations, providing a safe place for women and families experiencing homelessness during their transition to stable housing.

Image courtesy Kirkland police