Kenmore council was scheduled to weigh park district and public safety levy options

What the records say

In materials published ahead of the Feb. 23, 2026 special meeting, the record laid out three possible ballot measures the city was scheduled to discuss: a Metropolitan Park District (MPD), a public safety levy lid lift, and a combined public safety plus human services levy lid lift. All would require voter approval ¹. An MPD — a dedicated funding source for parks — would fund park maintenance, capital projects, environmental stewardship, and possibly park development at Lakepointe ¹. A levy lid lift is a property tax measure that raises the taxing limit to pay for ongoing services; the public safety option would cover rising police, court, and jail contract costs and continue the Regional Crisis Response and Community Court programs ¹. The combined option would add funding for human services programs such as the Resource Navigator and utility assistance ¹.

• Three voter-approval ballot options were on the table: a Metropolitan Park District, a public safety levy lid lift, and a combined public safety plus human services levy lid lift.
• The MPD would fund park maintenance, capital projects, environmental stewardship, and potential park development at Lakepointe.
• The public safety option would cover police, court, and jail contract costs that have consistently exceeded CPI-W, plus Regional Crisis Response and Community Court programs.
• The combined option would also fund the Human Services Resource Navigator and Utility Assistance Programs, currently one-time funding for 2025-2026.
• Staffing comparisons showed Kenmore at 2.35 employees per thousand residents, below neighbors like Bothell (3.70) and Mercer Island (5.6).
• Neighboring jurisdictions were also planning revenue measures, including a Lake Forest Park public safety measure and a Shoreline MPD measure in November 2026.

Why it matters

These measures would directly affect Kenmore property tax bills and the level of everyday services residents receive — from park upkeep and Lakepointe park development to police response and utility assistance. The record also shows the city weighing alternatives, including cost reductions and staffing comparisons with neighboring cities, so the choices discussed could shape the city budget for years ¹.

What changed / what's next

• The record proposed pursuing one or two ballot measures — a Metropolitan Park District and/or a public safety funding measure — alongside implementing councilmanic options and continuing cost-reduction discussions ¹.
• The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome. Whether the council advanced any of these measures to the November 2026 ballot, and with what tax rate, was not determined in the supplied pre-meeting materials ¹.