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The original item was published from 3/16/2022 3:23:59 PM to 3/18/2022 2:56:39 PM.
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Posted on: March 21, 2022[ARCHIVED] City Seeks Community Feedback on Draft Redmond Safety Funding Plan
Attend a community meeting on April 4 and take an online questionnaire by April 15
REDMOND, WA — The City of Redmond is engaging community members about how to fund Redmond's public safety today and into the future. All are invited to share their feedback and inform the draft plan through a community meeting and online questionnaire. The draft plan will be presented by Redmond Mayor Angela Birney to the City Council in May.
The population in Redmond has grown, and demand for fire and police services have increased, but revenue and staffing levels have not kept up. Redmond is seeking to fund a responsive public safety system that understands and can meet the needs of an evolving city to maintain a high level of service and support future developments.
To achieve this, the City has prepared a draft Redmond Safety Funding Plan that will cover:
the gap between existing revenue and current city needs
increase capacity of in-demand programs like Mental Health Response and Mobile Integrated Health
fund ongoing expenses of the Police Body Worn Camera program
add fire and police personnel to maintain public safety response times throughout the city
A significant investment that has contributed to Redmond’s strong public safety system is a property tax levy approved by voters in 2007. For more than a decade, this levy has been essential support keeping the City’s Fire and Police Departments staffed. However, over the last 15 years, the purchasing power of the levy has decreased over time. There is now a gap between revenue collected and the expenses of the City’s emergency response services. The growing community and evolving public safety needs require additional investments now to ensure a safe and supportive system for everyone.
Help shape the plan
To gather community feedback, the City of Redmond is holding a community feedback period, with opportunities to engage online and in-person, including:
Community meeting (option to attend online or in-person)
In-person: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Redmond City Hall Council Chambers, 15670 NE 85th St, Redmond
Online: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. | RSVP online for meeting link
Presentation to begin at 7:00 p.m., followed by a Q&A session.
Jill E. Smith, Communications Manager