Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Lake Forest Park need to raise money with Prop 1?
Property taxes are a crucial source of revenue for the city’s general fund and the city uses that money to provide services to residents. To keep up with rising costs, the city has already made cuts and reduced services to keep spending low. However, in just the last 4 years, inflation in our area has increased by 24% and prices are continuing to rise rapidly. This makes the city about $1.2 million short each year. State law limits the city to a 1% property tax increase without a vote by its residents, but that is not enough. Prop 1 asks the residents of LFP to raise their property taxes enough to make up the gap. Note that this is a temporary levy lid lift that will expire after 6 years.
How will the revenues from Prop 1 be spent?
The levy proposition passed by the council requires that all revenue be spent on public safety. Below is a list of where the levy revenue will be spent.
Prop 1 says the funds raised will be spent on public safety services. Why did the city decide to only focus on public safety services?
The decision was based on a survey that was sent to every LFP household in November 2024. Maintaining our police department to ensure public safety and security was identified as the highest priority of LFP residents completing the survey. Here is a link to the complete survey results.
How much money will Prop 1 raise?
Revenues from Prop 1 will be approximately $1.2M for each of the next six years.
How much will Prop 1 cost property owners?
Prop 1’s temporary levy lid lift would be an increase of 24 cents per $1,000 valuation. The average LFP house has a valuation of $910,000 which would be an annual increase of $218.40 or $18.20 per month.
Here’s a link to calculate your own home using the city's levy lid lift calculator.
How long will the property tax increase last?
It will last six years and then return to 2025 levels.
How can people on fixed incomes afford to live in LFP when property taxes keep going up?
Seniors, disabled persons, and disabled veterans can apply for tax exemptions and deferrals. Basic qualifications:
Own the home you live in
At least age 61 or disabled by December 31 of the preceding year
Max household income of $84,000
Learn more about this on the King County Property Tax exemption site.
Were all the City Councilmembers in favor of a temporary levy lid lift?
Yes, all the councilmembers supported the decision of the temporary levy lid lift, though there were differing opinions as to the exact amount of increase.
Check out the full council discussion starting around the 45 minute mark: July 10 2025 council meeting
I’ve heard that the city has reserve funds. Why can’t they just use that money to cover the gap?
It's true that the city does have a decent balance this year of around $9M (they're required to maintain a minimum of $2M), HOWEVER, most of that money came from one-time sources and from the city being frugal since the pandemic (e.g., implementing spending freezes, putting projects on hold, and staff furloughs). That money won't be replenished, so it should be used for community projects and to some extent reserved for emergencies or other unforeseeable needs that come up - and those will come up. But when it comes to maintaining regular public safety services, the costs are rapidly increasing and far exceed the city's annual income, so that's why we need to vote YES on Prop 1 to fill that gap and keep our city safe and in a financially strong position.