Without PROP 1, the City of Everett will need to make over $12 million in budget cuts for 2025. These cuts would primarily impact quality of life services like parks, libraries, the animal shelter, community events and other things cities aren’t required to provide.
NEWS
Editorial: Everett request for property tax lift reasonable - Everett Herald Editorial Board, Saturday, July 6, 2024.
Paid for by Lift Up Everett, P.O. Box 12113, Everett, WA, 98206. Top 5 Contributors: WA State Council of County and City Employees, AFSCME, AFL-CIO - Super PAC, Everett Police Officers Association, Jennifer Gregerson, Claudia McClain, Emily Dagg.
Vote to APPROVE PROP 1 to support public safety like police and fire as well as the quality of life services that contribute to our lives including parks, street maintenance, libraries and more. It will also restore some past cuts.
WHAT IS PROP 1?
Proposition 1 is a property tax levy lid lift ballot measure that will be on Everett ballots for the August primary.
WHAT IS A LEVY LID LIFT?
A levy lid lift is a property tax increase. State law limits property tax increases to 1% per year. To “lift the lid,” the City must go to the voters.
WHY IS PROP 1 NECESSARY?
Everett, like many local cities, has faced a structural deficit for 20 years - primarily caused by the State’s 1% cap and inflation. This moderate increase will bring in the revenue needed to preserve service levels and bring back some past cuts.
HOW MUCH WILL THIS COST?
Prop 1 would cost an average household $28 per month (based on an assessed value of $500k). This amounts to a 7.8% increase to the average total property tax bill.
WHAT WILL PROP 1 PAY FOR?
Prop 1 funds public safety like police and fire as well as essential public services. It will also allow the City to restore some previous cuts like library hours, Neighborhoods staffing and finding a partner to re-open Forest Park pool.
WHEN WAS OUR LAST LEVY LID LIFT?
The City of Everett has never gone to the voters for a levy lid lift. They’ve made as many difficult cuts as possible before asking the voters to consider an increase.
WE SUPPORT EVERETT’S PROPOSITION ONE!
Mayor Cassie Franklin
City Council President Don Schwab
City Council Vice President Ben Zarlingo
City Councilmember Scott Bader
City Councilmember Mary Fosse
City Councilmember Paula Rhyne
City Councilmember Liz Vogeli
Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers
Snohomish County Councilmember Strom Peterson
Everett Police Officers Association
International Assoc. of Firefighters Local 46
Washington State Council of County and City Employees, AFSCME,AFL-CIO Council 2
Cory Armstrong Hoss
Bob Bolerjack
Phillip Buffington
Tyler Chism
Abby Cooley
Dave DeMarco
John DeRousse
Jennifer Gregerson
Claudia McClain
Kimberly Moore
Kari Quaas
Ryan Sass
Eileen Simmons
Rod Sniffen
Mark Soine
Paul Sun
Simone Tarver
Mara Wiltshire
… and more!
“Help us protect public safety, the quality of life services and amenities that contribute so much and our future by voting to approve Prop 1.”
-Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin
“Having dedicated nearly 30 years of my life to public service and public safety, I understand the importance of having a robust support system for first responders. By voting for Proposition 1, we are choosing to build a safer, more resilient Everett for ourselves and future generations.”
-John DeRousse
“For nearly three years, I’ve worked with City of Everett leaders across many departments and I’ve been impressed by how responsive and dedicated they are and by their earnest desire to solve problems and tackle big challenges our City faces. They work hard to be good stewards of our tax dollars, running lean and efficient operations, and for all these reasons, I’m voting yes on Prop 1.”
-Cory Armstrong-Hoss
There are many ways to show your support for City of Everett Prop 1:
- Follow us on Facebook: ‘Approve Everett Prop 1.”
- Share your support with your friends in person and online.
- Let us know you’d like a yard sign
- Ask businesses, organizations, unions and friends to endorse Prop 1 - and share your personal endorsement as well.
- Write a letter to the editor and encourage others to do so as well.
- Consider donating to the campaign committee:
- ONLINE - Donate here.
- BY MAIL - Check should be made out to “Lift Up Everett” and mailed to P.O. Box 12113 Everett, WA 98206
- Make a plan to vote by Aug. 6. Before then, confirm your voter registration or register to vote.
Contact us: liftupeverett@gmail.com
APPROVE
protect public safety and our quality of life
PROP 1 in the news
NEWS
Everett Herald endorses Prop 1
Editorial: Everett request for property tax lift reasonable - Everett Herald Editorial Board, July 6, 2024
What you need to know about Proposition 1, Everett’s levy lid lift - MyEverettNews, July 18, 2024
Everett Prop. 1 is city’s ask of locals to increase taxes to avoid budget cuts - Snohomish County Tribune, July 17, 2024
Lifting Everett’s tax lid may save taxpayers in the long run: Letter to the Editor, July 5, 2024
Reason to be suspicious of no campaign: Letter to the Editor, July 25, 2024
Support effort for a safer, better city: Letter to the Editor, July 26, 2024
Yes vote continues city’s services: Letter to the Editor, July 30, 2024
Vote yes to ease inflation’s effects on services: Letter to the Editor, August 1, 2024
Vote yes for libraries, other services: Letter to the Editor, August 2, 2024
Prop 1: fact OR fiction
Check out our new flyer that sets the record straight - addressing the misleading and inaccurate information that is being shared by the opposition.
misleading!
This is incorrect. The opposition is using percentages and cherry-picked data to push a narrative of excessive spending and bloated departments. This could not be further from the truth.
Through reorganization (moving staff from one department to another) and expanding the department’s scope, the Communications department grew from 2.9 FTEs to 5.4 FTEs. The department is now called Communications and Engagement, and they manage ALL citywide communications like social media, media relations, city websites, the newsletter, translation services, photography, videography, branding and graphic design, the Everett Channel which including livestreaming/ broadcasting of public meetings, plus community engagement including support for Neighborhood Associations, boards and commissions, community outreach, DEI and more. Since 2020, the budget changed from $650k to $965k. (Sources: City of Everett 2024 budget, City of Everett 2021 budget, City of Everett 2020 budget)
Overall, the City’s staffing rate is down; in 2014, it was 7.1 staff per 1,000 residents and now it is 6.5 staff per 1,000. This means as Everett’s population grew by over 10% in the last decade, staffing decreased - even as community needs have grown and changed. In this same time period, staffing has changed by + 9.5 FTEs net - less than 1 per year.
The opposition is trying to mislead the public into thinking the structural deficit is a spending issue when it’s actually caused by the 1% cap on property tax increases and record inflation which is impacting taxing districts throughout Washington State.
The Lift Up Everett campaign committee was created to support City of Everett Proposition 1. We are local residents that care deeply about Everett and want to ensure it remains a great place to live, work and visit.
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