1. Walk with confidence and purpose with your head up.
2. When you are standing at an ATM, walking down the street or getting out of your car, scan your surroundings for potential danger or suspicious activity.
3. Stay in well lit areas and avoid doorways, shrubbery and remote places.
4. Stay in pairs whenever possible.

If someone approaches you or seems to be following, cross the street or change directions and look for a safe place to go.

For more safety tips, visit the Kent Police Department online.

Click here to see the city’s public crime stats for the week of Jan. 17 – 23, 2012.

And if your garage remote is stolen, Garry Stewart of Doorman Service in downtown Kent says you can erase the code for the remote so that thieves can’t use it to break into your home!

Click here to review the latest crime stats of the City of Kent.

Auto Theft Prevention – Top 10 List  (thanks to the City of Kent for providing this info.)

1. Remove all valuables every time you park.
2. Lock all doors.
3. Completely close all windows.
4. Install and use an alarm system.
5. Never leave your vehicle running unattended.
6. Consider installing a steering wheel locking device such as The Club. Clubs are available at a reduced cost through the Kent Police Foundation.
7. Park in well-lit locations.
8. Avoid parking in isolated areas.
9. Remove your GPS system, including the suction cups that are mounted on your windshield.
10. Call 9-1-1 at the sign of any suspicious activity.

Updated, Jan. 20–Shelter will also be open this evening, Fri., Jan. 20.

Because of the snowstorm and its accompanying cold temperatures, the City of Kent is opening the Kent Severe Weather Shelter at the Kent Lutheran Church tonight, Jan. 18 through Fri., Jan. 20. Here are the details:

Location:  Kent Lutheran Church, 336 2nd Ave. S., Kent, WA  98032

Check-in and registration:  9 p.m.  (all guests must register)

Shelter closes, guests must leave:  7 a.m.

The shelter is giving priority to homeless families with children who are living on the streets or in their vehicles. Men and women without children are also welcome. There is separate sleeping space available for families, men and women.

The Severe Weather Shelter is operated by Catholic Community Services staff and volunteers from the Kent Lutheran Church and Kent community.

To locate shelters in Renton, Federal Way, Bellevue and Seattle, dial 2-1-1.

If you know of a homeless person or family who needs shelter, please share this information with them.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a national holiday, is Monday, January 16. With schools and many businesses closed, including city of Kent offices, Kent Parks would like to encourage students, scouts, families and others to observe it by contributing community service.

Once again, we will focus on collecting litter along the Interurban Trail. Volunteers will meet at the Kent Lions Skate Park on West Smith St. near Lincoln Avenue/Valley Highway overpass in downtown Kent. Parking is available in the Park-and-Ride lot next to the skate park.

Trash bags and a limited number of pick sticks will be provided. Volunteers should dress for the weather, wear sturdy boots or shoes, bring work gloves and a bottle of water if they wish. Special programs manager Victoria Andrews staffs the event and requests pre-registration by January 12 to ensure she brings enough supplies. To download the registration flyer, visit www.KentWAParks.com and click on Volunteer. Or call 253-856-5110.

Jan. 7:  Christmas Tree Recycling Event at Service Club Ballfields

Jan. 9-13:  Christmas Tree Recycling for City of Kent residents

Jan. 28-29, Feb. 4-5:  Wood Debris Recycling at Russell Road Park (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Jan. 28:  Appliance and Electronics Recycling at Meridian Elementary, 25621 140th Ave SE, Kent (10 a.m. to p.m.)

Mar. 17:  Special Recycling and Collection Event at Russell Road Park

Mar. 24:  Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Sale

For more info., visit KentRecycles.com.

Dear Editor,

Much has been said, written, implied, and rumored about the collection and use of property taxes by the city. We’d like to set the record straight, not only about those taxes, but to right some false statements made by Mr. Berrios in his letter to the editor printed in the October 7 edition of the Kent Reporter.

In 2010, voters approved the formation of the Regional Fire Authority (RFA). That measure passed with over 70% of the vote. By approving the RFA, voters approved two major revenue changes that appear on your property tax bill 1) a transfer of $1.00 per thousand of assessed value from the city to the RFA and 2) the collection of a new revenue charge called a Fire Benefit Charge (FBC). Both of these changes were in the voters pamphlet and part of the public outreach campaign prior to the vote.

The Truth about Property Taxes

Property taxes are collected by King County and are used to pay for a variety of organizations and services including state and local schools, county services, city services, the Port of Seattle, ferry services, King County Library System, emergency medical services, and Valley Medical Center.

Only a small portion of the property tax we pay comes to our city – 11.2% of the total to be exact.

The property tax revenues our city receives have always been deposited into the General Fund and used to pay for general government services including public safety, parks, streets and other services. They were never transferred from another fund as alleged. Property owners should note that property taxes only cover 25% of the total cost to provide the previously mentioned services.

The remaining costs are covered using sales and utility tax revenues, building revenues and permit fees, which also, have always been deposited into the General Fund. Unfortunately, these revenue sources have declined by $8.4 million since the recession began.

It is clear there is a mistaken assumption that before voters approved the RFA, the Fire Department was funded solely by property taxes. Nothing could be further from the truth. If this assertion were true – if the entire city’s portion of property taxes received were dedicated to public safety – those dollars wouldn’t even cover half of the total cost to provide those services. In fact, in 2010, before the RFA, only $8.9 million dollars of property tax money was used to pay for the fire department. The remaining $15.2 million dollars in their budget came from other revenue sources.

In 2010, the city received $2.36 per $1,000 in assessed valuation to pay for all of the general government services referenced previously. When the RFA was formed, the city gave up $1.00 of the $2.36 previously received, leaving $1.36 per $1,000 assessed valuation to pay for those previously referenced services. That $1.00 dollar equated to a reduction of $11.7 million in property taxes that used to go into the city’s General Fund, which is now collected by the RFA. That is well over the $8.9 million in property taxes that partially funded the fire department in 2010.

This year, due to fluctuation in property values, the county, not the city, set the rate at $1.48 per $1,000 in assessed valuation. This is just the city’s portion of the total property tax bill.

The letter to the editor wrongly asserts that “additional taxes were collected without voter approval.” The $1.00 redistribution from the city to the RFA is a “wash” to taxpayers. The $1.48 still received by the city in property taxes was not “stolen”, “kept” or “taken” as the author claims. That money was, and has always been received and deposited into the city’s General Fund to provide general government services…not to solely pay for the Fire Department. Remember, the city gave up $1.00 of its total property tax receipts. The RFA now receives that $1.00 dollar. At a minimum this was not an “excess collection,” and to say it was “unethical” is unconscionable.

This was never a property tax reduction discussion; it was about a redistribution of $1.00 from the city to the RFA, pending voter approval. Again, voters approved the plan to redistribute the $1.00 from the city, to the RFA by more than 70%.

About the Fire Benefit Charge

Well why is it if the city used to get $2.36 and now gets $1.48 that my property taxes have gone up? A review of one’s property tax bill will show voter approved tax increases and charges to pay for services they deem valuable.

For instance, voters approved bonds, levies and charges to support the Kent School District, King County Library System and the Regional Fire Authority.

An additional voter approved charge appearing on tax statements is the new Fire Benefit Charge (FBC). This charge is over and above what was previously billed and collected. To be clear, the FBC is a charge, not a tax and goes directly to the RFA. While we agree it’s confusing that this charge is included in King County’s property tax bills, it is not a tax. That’s why it falls under the “Other charges” category just as the Noxious Weed and Conservation charges do. There is no double taxation here. Voters agreed to transfer $1.00 from the city’s total property tax collection to the RFA. Voters also agreed to be assessed a FBC.

The fact the measure to approve the RFA, including its FBC required a 60% voter majority signaled more money out of our pockets.

Moving Forward…

Mr. Berrios is asking the city to reduce its portion of property taxes collected by $4.9 million. For the owner of a $300,000 home, that would equate to $114 per year. It would not reduce the $1.00 received by the RFA, or the Fire Benefit Charge, also received by the RFA.

That $114 reduction would come at cost; a cost in police services, parks, street maintenance and other services vital to the community.

Declining revenues since the recession began have forced reductions in every area of the city budget. Since 2009, 90 employee positions have either been eliminated or left vacant and programs have been cut.

The suggested $4.9 million cut translates to between 60 and 70 additional employees losing their jobs, causing even further reductions and elimination of programs.

We understand the public is typically eager to cut government spending, and government employees for that matter. At the same time, the public insists on a strong police force, streets without pot holes, sidewalks in good repair, snow removal, parks and teen programs, neighborhood councils and even the lunch program at the Senior Center. The city employees are the people patrolling the streets, repairing streets and sidewalks and removing the snow. These programs don’t exist without funding, or the employees that provide the services.

The council is always looking for feedback on what you would like to see, or not see in the budget. The next public hearing on the 2012 budget is set for Tuesday, November 15, 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall and we encourage you to come with ideas and suggestions on how to move this city in the right direction.

Sincerely,

Jamie Perry, Council President
Elizabeth Albertson, Councilmember
Deborah Ranniger, Councilmember
Debbie Raplee, Councilmember

Kent City Council designates 1^st Annual Kent Turkey Challenge
Hopes of feeding 1,500 families

Kent City Council will proclaim Oct. 24 through Nov. 17 as the 1st Annual Kent Turkey Challenge.

 The donation drive challenges Kent businesses to compete against each other to collect the most turkeys and canned goods to donate to the Kent Food Bank.

“This year we learned the Kent Food Bank would not be receiving the funding they relied on to give our families a memorable Thanksgiving meal,” explained Torklift Central Vice President Jack Kay. “They feed up to 1,500 families for the Thanksgiving holiday.”

 To help the food bank meet the need, we are challenging all businesses in Kent to collect canned goods and turkeys, he explained. On Oct. 24, we are delivering donation boxes to businesses who would like to participate.

Each business will also get paper turkeys. An employee or customer of that business can purchase a paper turkey for $10. That money will be used to buy one turkey for the food bank. The paper turkey will have the donator’s name written on it and it can be posted in the business.

Each Friday Torklift Central employees will contact participating businesses to find out how many paper turkeys they have sold. All participating businesses will be featured on www.torkliftcentral.com/turkey and the progress of the number of paper turkeys sold will also be tracked there. The Web page will go live on Oct. 17.

“We are also accepting corporate sponsorship of the program,” Kay said. “Those sponsors will be featured on our Web site too. At the end of the challenge, we will deliver the turkeys and canned goods to the food bank and announce the winner. Help us gather 1,500 turkeys for the food bank. If we come together as a community, we can ensure a happy Thanksgiving for our local families.”

For more information or to participate, call Candice Boutilier at 253-299-0076.

King County Voters Guides for residents of King County will be sent separately:
Click here for candidate info.
Click here for measure info.
Click here for a *.pdf of the King County Voters’  Guide

The Kent City Council has four nonpartisan positions up for re-election. They are:

Mayor Suzette Cooke’s 2012 Budget Proposal to Kent City Council

Kent, Wash. – October 5, 2011 – Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke’s 2012 proposed budget was presented to the Kent City Council on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 by Chief Administrative Officer John Hodgson.

In a prepared statement, Cooke said her budget is in line with the “new normal.”

“For nearly four years, city government has been in persistent contraction. Rising costs and deteriorating revenues have forced reductions in nearly every area our budget.

We’ve made significant cuts, we’ve reduced staff, we’ve cut programs — and hoped conditions would stabilize.  Instead, projections continually collapse.  As Arun Raha, our state’s economist and forecaster, recently stated, ‘a return to normalcy seems like mirage in the desert that keeps slipping away’. This unprecedented recession just won’t end.

Earlier this year, the Council established its strategic goals for 2012 including the ‘development and implementation of a sustainable funding model for city services.’  This budget proposal is reflective of that goal and the new economic reality.”

The proposed 2012 Operating Budget totals $141.7 million.

Cooke’s statement further noted the budget continues to make law enforcement and public safety a high priority. “Approximately 46% of the expenditures in the General Fund are dedicated to public safety, which includes police, corrections and courts.”

Highlights of the proposed budget

Top priorities maintained

• Law Enforcement:  No reductions in the number of sworn officers are proposed.
• Human Services:  Maintain 2011 funding levels for human services. With the departure of the fire department, the original 1% calculation would have been $733k.  An additional $95,600 keeps it whole for 2012.
• Infrastructure:  Preserve the City’s infrastructure assets, including utilities (water, sewer and drainage), streets, parks, facilities and technology.
• Economic Development:  Focus on increasing economic development opportunities that provide jobs for Kent residents.
•  Increase connections and communication with our residents: Aim to foster inclusiveness by celebrating our diversity and creating new gathering places.

Cost increases and required/contracted expenditures

* $500,000 towards repayment of a 2002 loan from the water fund related to land acquisition for Kent Station.
* $126,000 increase in animal control services provided by Regional Animal Services of King County, for a total cost of nearly $417,000 for 2012.  The city-county contract will end 12/31/2012.
* $110,000 increase for election services and $44,573 increase in voter registration services provided by King County.
* $172,000 new expense for custodial, maintenance and security screening costs for the newly acquired Aukeen Court/Municipal Court building.
* $572,000 in utility cost increases for city-owned facilities and parks (i.e. electricity, water, sewer, garbage, etc.), as well as neighborhood street lighting previously covered by Home Owners Associations.
* $343,000 increase for state-mandated pension costs.
* $373,000 increase for worker’s compensation costs, largely due to remaining fire department claims.  The City is still responsible for these outstanding claims, because they occurred prior to the formation of the Regional Fire Authority.

Cost savings/fee increases

•     Eliminate 20.5 vacant positions – $1,711,562
•     Restructure fees for permitting and development services – $400,000
•     Apply a technology fee to permitting, parks and utility billing transactions to maintain technology systems – $125,000.
•     Increase business license fees – $100,000.

Residents are encouraged to attend a public hearing on the 2012 budget on Tuesday, November 15 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

Council members will review the budget and likely adopt a final version at their December 13 meeting.