LETTER TO THE EDITOR: ‘Proposition 1: so much for trust and transparency’

Proposition 1: So Much for Trust and Transparency!

Despite the Des Moines City Council’s public stance on trust and transparency, both the Council and its staff are engaging in a campaign of deception and deceit with the Proposition 1 Public Safety Levy Lid-Lift campaign.

Let’s do the math on Proposition 1: it raises the tax rate from $0.89 to $1.40 per $1,000 of property value. The average Des Moines home valued at $400,000 currently pays $356 in property taxes to the city. If Proposition 1 passes, that amount would rise to $560—a 57% permanent increase. This means that as your property value increases each year, so will your taxes by this same rate. The mailer you received from the City/Police department only mentions the increase as “$0.50”—while the City Council, City Staff, and Police remain silent about the true costs to taxpayers.

The PDC’s rule WAC 390-05-271 allows an agency to make “an objective and fair presentation of facts relevant to a ballot proposition, if such action is part of the normal and regular conduct of the office or agency.” However, the Police mailer and the Assistant City Manager’s email from October 25, 2024, go beyond an “objective and fair” presentation.

The Police Guild’s signs imply that a “NO” vote on Proposition 1 is an effort to defund the police—this is simply untrue. The City Council should follow its own rules and adhere to its ordinance against using one-time funding for ongoing expenses.

With a $1.8 million budget gap, the City Council is proposing to widen that hole—at taxpayers’ expense. The Council previously used temporary funds from the American Rescue Plan to fund four temporary public safety employees. Now, with no remaining Rescue Plan funds, the City proposes to maintain those positions, plus add four more, for a total of eight permanent positions on an already strained budget.

These deceptive practices have eroded the trust between taxpayers and the Des Moines City government. We must vote “NO” on Proposition 1 to put an end to financial mismanagement and budget shortfalls. This is not about public safety—it’s about fiscal irresponsibility.

Vote NO on Proposition 1.

– Susan White

– Diane Tucker

Citizens Against the Levy Lid Lift