Burien is looking for local voices to weigh in on a proposed public safety levy measure. The City is seeking residents to join committees either in support of or against the proposal, per an announcement posted on the city's official website. These committees will be responsible not only to draft their arguments but also to submit a rebuttal to their opposition's statement, all this to be presented in an upcoming local voters' pamphlet.
Following the Burien City Council's June 30 decision to include Ordinance 874 in the next meeting's consent agenda, the Pro and Con Committees now have a deadline of August 12, 2025, to complete their position statements. The committees will then have to quickly turn around and provide a rebuttal by August 14. Residents interested in playing a part in the future of their community's safety measures need to act fast, as applications are due by next Wednesday, according to the City of Burien.
The measure in question aims to address three primary concerns rooted in over two years of community engagement and planning: expanding a police co-response model to deal with homelessness, mental health crises, and public drug use; maintaining and increasing police staffing to bolster this model, including added patrols and crime prevention programs; and improving street and sidewalk safety via infrastructure enhancements and better lighting.
Burien City Council expects to review applications and appoint up to three members for each side of the debate during their July 14 meeting. This provides an opportunity for community members to directly engage and to more deeply understand neighborly perspectives on what public safety should look like in their city. These committees will be foundational to shaping the conversation and driving the decision-making process around the proposed funding measure designed to safeguard and serve the public interest.
