FIVE-YEAR LOCAL OPTION LEVY FOR INCREASED POLICE SERVICES
QUESTION: Shall Fairview impose $0.40 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for five years beginning in FY2009-2010 for increased police services? This measure may cause property taxes to increase more than three percent.
SUMMARY: Revenue generated from this levy would fund increased police services in Fairview. Levy funds would allow the City to hire two additional sworn police positions. Levy funds would be used to target gangs, drugs, property crimes (including burglary and theft), family crimes (including child and elder abuse, domestic violence, and sex offenses), and provide an overall increased police presence in the community through increased patrol and traffic enforcement.
The funds generated by the levy would provide dedicated funding to add two trained and fully-equipped officers to the current police force.
Approval of this local option levy would allow the City to provide increased police services for Fairview residents. The proposed rate will generate approximately $209,927 in FY2009-10; $217,275 in FY2010-11, $224,879 in FY2011-12, $232,750 in FY2012-13, and $240,896 in FY2013-14, for a total of $1,125,728.
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
If approved, this levy would be solely used to fund law enforcement in Fairview . Specifically, costs associated with the salary and benefits for two (2) additional police officers and associated operating expenses.
From 2000-2007, Fairview 's population grew 28.2%. During this same 7-year period, calls for service increased 131.2%, including two homicides. In 2004, there were 3,493 incidents (combined dispatched calls plus officer self-initiated activities). In 2007, there were 7,537 incidents representing a 46.3% increase in the past four years.
Although Fairview is comparatively small as a city in the metropolitan area, it nonetheless has nearly 10,000 residents and is adjacent to the larger communities of Gresham (100,000 residents) and Troutdale (15,000 residents). Crime rates throughout East County are rising and often cross jurisdictional boundaries.
The Fairview Police Department is staffed with 14 commissioned Police Officers. That includes the Police Chief, a School Resource Officer, East Metro Gang Enforcement Officer and a part-time investigator. Thus, only 10 officers actively provide emergency response and patrol services 24/7.
With only 10 patrol officers, there are times during the normal 24 hour day when Fairview has only one on-duty police officer. That officer is solely responsible for prisoner transport, investigation and patrol during that shift; as a result of those competing responsibilities, potentially that might mean no Fairview officer is available to do the typical patrol-the-streets function. If the levy were to pass, the hiring of the two officers resulting from the levy's passage would allow the City to schedule two officers to be on duty 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
A traditional method of determining the number of police officers needed is by comparing officers per one thousand residents. Fairview is currently at 1.44 officers per thousand residents. The state wide average for similarly sized Oregon cities (5,000 to 15,000 residents) is 1.69 officers. Adding two officers would bring Fairview to 1.65.
Passage of the levy increases City imposed real property taxes an additional $0.40 cents per $1000.00 of tax-assessed property value. For example, a home with an assessed value of $150,000.00 would be subject to an additional $60.00 tax per year or $5.00 per month. A home with an assessed value of $200,000.00 would be subject to an additional $80.00 tax per year or $6.66 per month.
Submitted by:
Joseph Gall
City Administrator
City of Fairview
No argument FOR or AGAINST this measure were filed.