The Battle Ground City Council delayed a decision Monday on a proposed 0.1% sales tax increase intended to fund police services, agreeing to wait until all members were present and to explore other ways to meet police needs.
The decision follows a unanimous approval to move the ordinance to a public hearing on Monday, Oct. 6. Under House Bill 2015, cities in Washington state can pass an ordinance to fund public safety through a 0.1% sales tax. The council would need to approve the ordinance before January to meet the state’s deadline.
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.
“This is one of the hardest decisions that I’ve had to make,” Davis said. “It is because of our love of our law enforcement and all that they do, and they are exceptional. That’s what makes it very difficult.”
Davis said she wants staff to look for possible savings before the city asks residents to pay more.
“I would like council to direct staff to go back in while we’re in budget season and to go through this and nitpick and see if there is anything that we can scrimp to help without going out for a public safety tax to our constituents,” she said.
Davis also pointed to an upcoming Clark County affordable housing sales tax that will add another tenth of a percent locally, saying the city should consider that impact before adding its own.
Ferrer echoed that concern.
“The reality is we don’t have an open pocketbook,” she said. “We can’t afford all of this stuff … We don’t want to just jump at this new tool that the state has given us by using this tax. I don’t feel comfortable just rushing in and grabbing it.”
Councilor Shane Bowman agreed with the council’s direction while speaking in favor of the sales tax model, saying it spreads costs beyond city residents.
“When we look at the city of Battle Ground, we represent 23,000 people, but 90-plus thousand people come through this city or shop in this city that don’t pay anything for our police outside of sales tax revenue,” Bowman said. “This gives us the opportunity to take those 80,000-plus people that come into our city and have them participate in helping because they’re part of the problem. It’s not just our citizens we need to police for.”
In a public survey presented to the Battle Ground City Council in March, 72% of participants expressed satisfaction with the city’s police services. Of the respondents, 30% considered police services as a priority for the city, the fourth-highest below street maintenance, economic development and quality of parks. Participants were evenly divided when asked if they wanted to fund police services through an additional tax or levy. The survey featured responses from 405 residents.
In an interview with The Reflector, Finance Director Meagan Lowery said the 0.1% tax would begin April 1, 2026, and is projected to raise about $500,000 in its first nine months, or roughly $667,000 in a full year, depending on the economy.
“While sales tax is very consistent, it is volatile depending upon what the economy is doing and what the trades are doing within our jurisdiction,” Lowery said.
She said the City Council has directed that the revenue be dedicated specifically to police staffing and related equipment. The levy would also pay for a new patrol vehicle at the cost of roughly $100,000.
“For the first year we’re looking at two officers,” she said. “The city has dedicated it to adding FTEs (full-time equivalent) and bodies to our force.”
Police Chief Dennis Flynn said additional officers would help the department address traffic safety and reduce overtime among existing staff.
“We are exceedingly fortunate that our crime rate is very low,” Flynn said. “An issue that has continued to be something that we work to address is our traffic safety. Adding more officers will allow us to continue our efforts to increase our traffic engagement and bring down our driving complaints and accidents.”
Battle Ground currently has 17 patrol officers, not counting four in training and one on long-term military leave, a number the chief said is about the same as 15 years ago. Flynn keeps a 2010 photo of staffing levels in his office as a reminder of the city’s long-standing needs.
“The total budget for law enforcement is $8 million,” Lowery added. “This is $667,000. So while it sounds like a lot of money when it comes to how much it costs to operate public safety, it is a drop in the bucket compared to what it costs.”
Training duration for officers varies based on experience, ranging from a quick review of local and state laws to a several-month-long comprehensive training and readiness period. If Battle Ground hires an officer from a nearby Washington city, the onboarding process might only take a few weeks to familiarize them with local municipalities. Newly recruited officers must undergo multiple mental and physical health screenings, followed by several months of additional training and shadowing. Although new tax revenue could fund recruitment, any officer hired using the state grant, if awarded, must be a new hire. Flynn said from the start of their time at the academy, which the city pays for, being able to patrol solo could take 12 to 18 months.
“To have a body out on the street by themselves, as a solo police officer, you could figure out a minimum is 12 months, but more likely 18 months,” he said.
The department is also preparing to apply for a $125,000 state grant that could allow the department to fund a third officer over three years, though both Flynn and Lowery noted that grant funding is temporary. The city also must match 25% of the salary during that period. The city may need to consider whether or not to continue funding the full position or find another grant opportunity after its expiration.
“It’s $125,000 spread across 36 months,” Lowery explained. “Even if it was a lump sum in one year, it doesn’t cover the salary and benefits of one officer. It’s a stipend. The sustainable funding source is the sales tax.”
Flynn said that additional officer positions would allow the department to create a more balanced schedule and reduce expensive overtime. Currently, some patrol officers work 12-hour shifts, and a single call toward the end of their shift can result in several hours of overtime.
“This has to be more of a need than a want,” he said. “That third position really helps us meet those needs, because when you have staffing issues, you have to deal with [Family and Medical Leave], vacations and sick time. We want to make sure we have the amount of people on the street that we need.”
The council is expected to revisit the ordinance for a second reading and potential vote at a future meeting.
