Burien lawmakers are expected to vote in May on placing a “Kids and Cops” initiative on the Burien election ballot.
As proposed by City Manager Mike Martin the six-year initiative would go to fund a surge in Burien police officers and provide grants to some city public elementary schools.
Funded by an increase in utility taxes, the initiative would need to be approved by Burien voters in the November general election or a special election early next year.
As envisioned by Martin, in the first two years $1.8 million-$2.3 million would be used to add 8-10 city police officers. Another $500,000 would go for discretionary public safety funding.
Following the two-year cops surge, the funding focus would shift for the next four years to kids in some Burien elementaries. The targeted schools would receive $300,000-$400,000.
But as Martin emphasized at the April 23 Burien council meeting all parts of the proposed plan are flexible and subject to council modification.
At the meeting, lawmakers heard the results of a survey prepared to gauge voter interest in the plan.
Rebecca Ball of DHM Research told council members a majority of voters support the initiative but there are concerns about the economy, taxes and government spending. She said support for the new tax may increase if the monthly financial impact to Burien householders is lower.
Burien voters agree that public safety and quality education are top community priorities, according to Ball. She said there is uncertainty about Burien’s public safety image and even more concern about the quality of Burien’s elementary schools. About 25 percent of Burien voters have children attending elementary schools, Ball noted.
On the common right track/wrong track survey question, Ball said 57 percent of voters surveyed said Burien is headed in the right direction with 21 percent saying wrong track and 22 percent didn’t know.
Satisfaction with Burien rates high on the question, according to Ball. She said residents in smaller cities are usually happier with their government but registered voters tend to be more negative.
“No community has been at 60 percent since 2008,” Ball observed.
Nineteen percent of survey participants named public safety as the top issue government officials should address while four percent named educational quality.
But they also named public schools (63 percent) and the number of police officers (57 percent) as top tier priorities for Burien tax dollars.
A 53 percent majority said they would support a kids/cops initiative paid for by an 8.25 percent utilities tax. Forty-three percent were opposed.
However, when told the initiative would cost the average household $12.57 a month, support dropped to 42 percent for and 51 percent against. Ball reported there was more support if the average cost dropped to $9 per month.
