MARYSVILLE – Don’t believe everything you read.
That’s especially true nowadays with everything that’s put on social media like Facebook.
But Mayor Jon Nehring feels the same way about the rebuttal in the Voters Pamphlet to Marysville’s Proposition 1.
The measure on the Aug. 2 primary ballot would raise the sales tax in town 1/10th of 1 percent – or a dime for every $100 spent. The measure would raise $750,000 a year that would go to public safety. The plan is to hire four officers and a sergeant.
Little opposition has surfaced since the City Council decided to put the measure on the ballot. However, in the Voters Pamphlet there is a rebuttal that brings up some interesting concerns.
But the only thing is it’s inaccurate.
The rebuttal says state law would allow the city to use two-thirds of the funds for other reasons. However, Nehring said that Marysville’s law was specifically written so that all the money would go for public safety.
The city hosted an informational meeting about the measure Monday night at City Hall. A few dozen people attended.
Nehring and Police Chief Rick Smith talked about how effective the police department has been in reducing crime 20 percent, but that it could do more proactive policing with more officers.
“We don’t just react to crime. We prevent it altogether,” Smith said.
That method has worked:
•With Operation Northern Lights at Lakewood Crossing businesses. “The problem turned around 180 degrees,” Nehring said.
•With Operation Southern Comfort, dealing with homeless, drugs and panhandling downtown.
•With the Stay Out of Drugs Area, or SODA, where crime has dropped almost 50 percent since 2013.
“When they focus on a problem it gets solved,” Nehring said, adding the police department uses its resource wisely.
Nehring said Smith works with other agencies to make money go further. Examples are the highly successful Regional Property Crimes Unit and the NITE teams.
“You get a large return on your investment,” Nehring said.
Volunteers also help money go further. The number of Neighborhood Watch programs has doubled to 35 in recent years, for example.
Both said for the size of the city, the police department is understaffed.
Smith said when 20,000 more people became residents after annexation in 2009, there were only 53 officers. Now there are 64 for a town of 67,000.
To compare, Lynnwood has one officer for every 690 calls it gets; Marysville has one for every 1,232.
Both the mayor and police chief said a sales tax increase is a fairer way to share the burden of paying for more protection.
“People all over, not just residents,” will pay it, Nehring said.
State law requires if it passes, 85 percent of the funds go to Marysville and 15 percent to Snohomish County.
Also on the primary ballot is a similar measure for the county. It is for 2/10ths of 1 percent, or 20 cents per $100 spent anywhere countywide. The county would get 60 percent of that money, with the cities splitting the other 40 percent. If that passes, it would raise about $1.5 million for Marysville.
“Both support public safety in our community,” Nehring said.
