Vancouver voters to decide on tax increase to fund more police services

(The Center Square) – The Vancouver City Council unanimously agreed Monday night to ask voters in November to approve a levy lid lift to bolster the city’s police department.

Vancouver voters will decide on a tax levy lid lift of 41 cents per $1,000 assessed value in 2025. If passed, it is anticipated to cost an owner of a median $500,000 valued house a total of $205 more per year in city taxes in 2025.

The generated funds would go to police services . More specifically, the city is looking to hire 80 additional sworn staff for the Vancouver Police Department and hire 36 non-sworn staff to support essential functions, such as records, evidence, analysis, community engagement and communications.

The Vancouver Police Department's budget is approximately $76 million per year. To fully implement the proposed hiring goals, the police department would need an additional $36 million per year by 2030.

The city is calling for boosts to its police department as a result of an increase in call volumes. According to a staff report for the ballot proposal, the city’s growth has directly correlated with a 30% increase in call volume for police services and an 87% increase in reported crimes since 2018.

Increasing demand for police services has also resulted in nearly 3,100 cases with viable leads going without investigation each year.

“Public safety has consistently been a top issue for the community,” Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle said in a news release on Tuesday. “This measure refers to the first of a series of police services funding measures to meet the growing and changing demand for public safety services in Vancouver.”

The Vancouver City Council unanimously approved the resolution to place Proposition 4 on the general election ballot during its city council meeting on Monday.

If approved by voters, the levy lid lift would be permanent and would authorize a 5% annual increase for six years. Vancouver’s 2024 property tax levy rate is approximately $2.36 per $1,000 in assessed value. It would cost the owner of a $500,000 home $585 in 2030.