July 11, 2018 | Vol. 13 | No. 28
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 Council Resolves to Place Levy Measure Before Voters
After weeks of exhaustive deliberation, and informed by an outside peer review of the City's financial forecasts, the Mercer Island City Council voted 6 to 1 on Tuesday night to proceed with a public vote on a property tax levy increase.
Citing the importance of letting voters decide for themselves on preserving the services delivered by the City, Mayor Debbie Bertlin stated: "In our recent satisfaction survey, an overwhelming percentage of residents (79%) stated that they are satisfied with the quality of City services. Now, they will have a clear opportunity to reinforce that at the ballot box."
The levy lid lift would allow the City to maintain current service levels without significant cuts to popular safety net and quality of life programs, and cost the owner of an average Island home (median assessed value of $1.20 million) approximately $300 in the first year. In order to minimize the size of the levy, Council also directed staff to implement efficiency measures throughout the six-year duration and draft a financial sustainability plan going forward. Full details of the proposed levy language will be available by 5:00pm this Friday (July 13) when agenda materials are assembled for the Council meeting next week on Tuesday, July 17.
In addition, the Council is seeking volunteers for the pro and con committees for the proposed levy lid lift ballot measure. These committees submit statements in favor of, and in opposition to, the ballot measure for the local voters' pamphlet. The statements are to be submitted directly to King County Elections by 4:30 p.m. on August 14, 2018. Rebuttal statements are due August 16, 2018.
Email Ali Spietz (
ali.spietz@mercergov.org), Assistant to the City Manager, if you are interested on serving on the pro or con committee. The Council will make the appointments at the July 24, 2018 Council meeting.
Learn more about the City's Financial Challenges and read FAQ at:
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Summer Celebration and Boat Tours This Weekend!
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Click for boat ride information
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The City invites you to Summer Celebration this weekend and has announced that tickets still remain for the annual boat ride around the Island. The cruise provides a chance to explore Mercer Island from aboard the Argosy Celebrations yacht which underwent major restorations in 2003 and features a fully enclosed lower deck and ample outdoor deck space. A no-host cash bar is available on board.
The cruise is one day only on Saturday, July 14, and sets sail at 10:30am, 12:30pm, and 2:30pm from the Luther Burbank Park Boat Dock. Free parking is available in the Park Meadow area, and each cruise lasts 90 minutes.
Tickets are $17 per adult and $12 for passengers under 18, and are available in person at Mercer Island Community and Event Center or by phone at (206) 275-7609.
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Next Solarize Workshop, July 18
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The first installation is already complete;
click to register for next workshop
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Last month, about
70 attendees joined the kickoff workshop of the City's second
Solarize Mercer Island campaign! About half of them choose to accept a FREE rooftop site assessment, and the first installations are already complete (see photo).
Please join your friends and neighbors at the next workshop on
Weds, July 18 (6:30-8:00pm at the Community Center), to learn more.
Building on the success of the 2014 residential solar campaign, which led to almost
50 new installations
, the City is partnering with
the citizens' group Sustainable Mercer Island and the local non-profit Spark Northwest to work with a pre-selected, qualified solar installer.
If you have been contemplating rooftop solar, or if you missed out last time,
NOW is the time to act:
- Solar is more cost-effective than ever before
- Qualify for 30% federal tax rebate (until Dec 2019)
- Receive a time-limited, group purchasing discount
- Generous WA state incentives are expiring soon!
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Tenth National Night Out, Aug 7
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Click to learn more about
Mercer Island events
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On Tuesday, August 7, from 5:00-8:00pm, the City will be hosting its tenth annual National Night Out. This year will mark the 35th National Night Out event across the United States.
National Night Out is an organized crime prevention and preparedness event, and will involve over 15,000 communities from all 50 states. Locally, there are now well over 100 cities and counties in Washington State participating in the event, and 16 Mercer Island neighborhoods hosted an event last year.
National Night Out brings neighbors together not only to heighten crime prevention awareness and family emergency preparedness, but also to strengthen neighborhood spirit and community partnerships. Neighbors get reintroduced to one another, connect names with faces, and become acquainted with City officials.
Contact Emergency Preparedness Officer Jennifer Franklin (jennifer.franklin@mercergov.org) or call (206) 275-7905 for more information about hosting an event.
Or come to the all-City event at City Hall from 5:00-8:00pm for a cookout and tours of the police station and jail! Learn more here. |
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