Something that was knocking around City Hall the day I was sworn in was a public-safety levy. The idea, as I understand it, is to put an additional couple of cents on the real-estate tax and dedicate that revenue towards public safety projects of the capital variety – new buildings and the like. Keep in mind that, as of right now, 1 cent of real-estate tax brings in around $500,00 in taxes. Also stash in your brain that it requires about $500k to fund a single 24-hour police officer position (you need 3 guys, cars, gear, training, etc). Normally things like this are handled by taking out a loan (called a “bond” at the governmental level) and building it that way. The City would not currently appear to be in any position to issue a bond as tax revenues are declining and the real-estate tax rate is going to have to increase just to keep tax revenues flat. I haven’t heard what we need to build but the City does have an urgent need to bolster some of our troubled neighborhoods that are suffering the effects of overcrowding, crime, etc and I’ve arrived at three options:

1. Implement a public safety levee but dedicate the money towards a “Neighborhood Safety” program. This would go to policing GTS and other problem areas. In addition, it would add real meat to our Neighborhood Services program that looks to control overcrowding and increasing the overall health and safety of our neighborhoods. or

2. Implement the levee and dedicate it solely towards capital infrastructure. or

3. Let it ride and do nothing.

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I’m thinking a hybrid of 1 and 2 might be workable as long as the levy has a sunset provision and we are willing to look at taking money from other places in the budget to hlep pay for it. If the City is to get our neighborhoods straightened out we are going to have to participate in ICE, hire more officers and some staff (we currently have 1 dedicated to this) to work with residents of all kinds and their communities to get things going. This will require money. If the money from the levy was dedicated solely to this function, I think it is a decent starting point. Clearly there needs to be an actual plan put around this but the concept seems to be a reasonable one. In addition, note that the benefits of having these problem areas (which probably comprise 20% of city residents) being safe and functional again would bring tremendous benefits to the City in terms of livibility and safety let alone better home values and stronger schools. I think we have the beginnings of this program already in City Hall but it needs a shot in the arm.
Whaddya think?