The Battle Ground City Council voted unanimously on Monday, Nov. 17 to adopt a 0.1 percent sales tax dedicated to police staffing, ending weeks of hesitation from councilors who had pushed for more analysis or public feedback. The move gives the police department authority to hire two additional officers starting in 2026 and positions the city for potential state grant funding.
The tax is allowed under a councilmatic authority passed by the Washington Legislature last session, which gave cities the option to adopt a tenth of a percent public safety sales tax without sending it to voters. The revenue must be used for police or other public safety needs.
Taxation will begin in April 2026. It is expected to generate about $500,000 during its first nine months and roughly $667,000 per year thereafter, depending on the economy, according to earlier city estimates. Funding will support two additional officers and help reduce costly overtime, as call volumes increase and shifts run longer.
The vote came weeks after the council, which held its second reading and public hearing on Nov. 3, opted to delay it. Councilor Cherish DesRochers asked that the vote be postponed to a future meeting when the full council could attend during last week’s meeting. Councilors Tricia Davis and Victoria Ferrer supported the delay, citing a need for more budget review before committing to a tax increase.
During last week’s meeting, Councilor Eric Overholser said the city has little room left in its budget to meet basic service expectations.
“And there is not, as I've heard from other people that I've talked to who claim there's plenty of fat to trim off the city's budget, I can assure you that is not the case,” Overholser said.
Councilor Tricia Davis said she pushed staff for weeks to look for alternatives, but reached the point where she felt the increase was unavoidable.
“I didn't know today what I would be voting up until this point,” Davis said.
Councilor Victoria Ferrer said she still wanted a clearer sense of public sentiment and asked the council to push for a public survey. Mayor Troy McCoy spoke against the idea, saying the city had already completed a statistically valid one earlier this year.
The poll showed that 72 percent of participants were satisfied with the city’s police services. Of the respondents, 30 percent considered police services as a priority for the city, ranking fourth below street maintenance, economic development, and quality of parks. Participants were evenly divided, 50%-50%, when asked if they wanted to fund police services through an additional tax or levy. The survey featured responses from 405 residents.
The new revenue should allow the police department to hire two officers, and the city is also eligible to apply for a $125,000 state grant to help fund a potential third officer over three years. Finance Director Meagan Lowery and Police Chief Dennis Flynn have said the grant is temporary, requires the city to match 25 percent of the salary during the grant period, as it would not cover the full cost of a position. After the grant expires, the city may need to either continue the funding on its own or seek another grant.
Following the sales tax vote, the council approved a 1% property tax increase for 2026 on a 5-2 vote, with Ferrer and Davis opposed. The increase will generate just over $25,000 next year. City leaders noted that as inflation continues to push up operating costs, Battle Ground will likely need a levy lid lift in the coming years.
“Now they're in a structural deficit,” McCoy said, referring to Clark County, which for many years opposed an allowable 1% property tax increase. “For me, all the 1% does is delay how long it will be before we have to go to the voters for a lid lift,” McCoy said.
