Thanks for the questions on our previous post today. We want to clarify a couple of things that may be getting misconstrued.

The $22 million figure being discussed in a portion of the City Council video is not the amount of the Public Safety sales and use tax. That figure relates to a separate park capital budget amendment.

The Public Safety sales and use tax is one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) and is estimated to generate approximately $850,000 annually. To put that into perspective, the tax amounts to 10 cents on a $100 taxable purchase, or $1 on a $1,000 taxable purchase, etc.

It is also important to note that this tax is to provide a source of dedicated funding to address identified public safety and criminal justice needs including additional police staffing and other criminal justice costs of providing defense services for qualifying defendants in Municipal Court and partially funding our Body Worn Camera program. The Public Safety tax is not a new funding source for our existing Flock license plate reader cameras. The City has previously received grant funding specifically for Flock cameras.

The City Council has discussed the public safety tax during public meetings, including study sessions, and the ordinance was considered and adopted during an open City Council meeting. Meeting agendas, packets and videos are available to the public on the City’s website.

We absolutely recognize that residents have questions and concerns about additional taxes, which is exactly why we shared this video, to explain the need, the actual cost, and what the funding can be used for.

We encourage residents to watch the full discussion, which we will post again below and we always encourage everyone to stay involved in the City’s public budget process. Questions and community input are always welcome.

youtube.com/watch?v=C7OSODA0dzk&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwY2xjawUxGMBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7w1NoBvADtEPUp2tIGJ_gYJz70fM-ki-paGHIG0eGo3PtA300LH0O6doXYWA_aem_NsUyeWrYStRT0-kceKIwdw

What does Sumner’s new Public Safety Sales Tax mean for our community? City Administrator Jason Wilson explains the tax, why the City considered it and how the funding supports public safety.
Watch the short video to learn more about what’s changing and how it affects Sumner.