{"id":67524,"date":"2024-01-17T10:22:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T18:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/news\/kent-mayor-police-chief-push-for-sales-tax-bill-in-olympia\/"},"modified":"2024-01-17T10:22:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T18:22:00","slug":"kent-mayor-police-chief-push-for-sales-tax-bill-in-olympia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/news\/kent-mayor-police-chief-push-for-sales-tax-bill-in-olympia\/","title":{"rendered":"Kent mayor, police chief push for sales tax bill in Olympia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t
Mayor Dana Ralph and Police Chief Rafael Padilla are convinced if the city had the money to hire as many as 30 more officers, they could help clean up crime in Kent.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
That’s why they are leading a mission to persuade legislators over the next several weeks in Olympia to allow the Kent City Council to enact a sales tax hike of 0.3% (3 cents on every $10 purchase) to raise an estimated $9 million to $10 million per year in Kent for public safety.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Crime continues to climb in Kent.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The number of homicides jumped to 19 in 2023 from nine in 2022, according to Kent Police statistics. There were 15 homicides in 2021, and nine in 2020, after just four in 2019 and six in 2018, making for a large increase over the last four years.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Aggravated assaults have been on a steady rise in the city since 2019, topping out at 176 in 2023. That’s up from 167 in 2022, 120 in 2021, 104 in 2020 and 74 in 2019.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“When I look at my inbox, what residents and businesses are talking about, hands down it’s public safety,” Ralph said during a Jan. 10 interview at City Hall. “I get more complaints and wondering what are we doing about public safety than any other topic.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Ralph said the message boils down to one thing.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“We are asking the Legislature to provide the city a tool to respond to our residents,” she said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
If adopted this session, House Bill 2211<\/a> and Senate Bill 6076<\/a> would give county and city councils across the state the ability to raise the sales tax by 3 cents per $10 purchase to pay for more officers and other public safety needs without going to voters.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t State Rep. Chris Stearns, D-Auburn, whose 47th Legislative District includes parts of Kent, agreed to sponsor the House bill.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “House Bill 2211 empowers local governments, like Kent’s, to make timely, community-specific decisions,” Stearns said in a Jan. 12 email. “The unanimous support from Kent’s mayor and City Council underscores its necessity.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t The city council made the measure its only top priority on the 2024 legislative agenda.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “The alarming rise in crime, including a significant increase in homicides and aggravated assaults in Kent, highlights the urgency for action,” Stearns said. “Furthermore, this bill encompasses funding for the entire criminal justice continuum and enhances the overall public safety infrastructure. The proposed tax increase is modest but impactful – an additional 3 cents on a $10 purchase.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “Community safety is not only a top concern among our constituents – it’s a top priority of mine, and this bill is a step towards safer and more secure communities across Washington.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t