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MONROE — Voters this November will be deciding on a city property tax rate increase of 22 cents that would be used to fund more parks workers and for community police officers.
The increase in funding would go to public safety and maintaining parks by the staffing needed for their upkeep and maintenance, and also fully fund police staff positions for its Community Service Offices who handle traffic and animal control. Without, the city’s plan is to cut back the officers to part-time.
“The Proposition 1 levy would give the city the ongoing revenue needed to add four new maintenance positions specific to the parks. If we want to keep our parks usable and amazing, we need the personnel to maintain them,” said Becky Hasart, the city’s prior finance director and member of the pro committee seeing to pass the measure.
The measure asks to increase the city property tax rate from $0.86 per $1,000 in assessed value to $1.08 per $1,000.
For a $500,000 house, the increase would cost between $8.33 to $9.17 per month, Hasart said.
“These numbers can change depending on what the 2025 assessed values will be and how much new construction will be added to Monroe’s assessed value in 2025,” Hasart said.
This year, a sample $500,000 homeowner paid $430 in city property taxes as part of their total bill. Proposition 1 would cost between $99.96 to $110.04 in more property tax based on Hasart’s monthly numbers.
The measure’s supporters say it has support from local leaders.
Qualifying seniors, veterans, and others are exempt from the whole levy amount.
In late July, the City Council voted 6-0 to put the measure on November’s ballot.
The pro committee for Proposition 1 in ballot pamphlets was Hasart, Parks Board Member Amy Martin, and Brian Johnston, a retired Monroe Police sergeant. Nobody signed up for the con committee.
